Flames, Eternal
by Candied
Summary: Growing up, all Roxas wants to know is who his dad is. All Axel wants is a second chance for him and his older brother Reno. Cid, leader of a notorious gang, takes Axel and his brother in. Years later, Roxas learns that Cid is his dad, and finds him. When the two get stuck together, what happens? Enemies to friends to lovers. AU, college, Slow burn. Also on AO3. Akuroku, bg Soriku
1. Cid

Neon beer signs and a soft warm glow from the lighting overhead dimly illuminated the private, windowless room in the back of the bar. The dark color of the walls and décor did little to reflect the light, casting the entire room in a dim, yellowish hue. In the center of the room sat a long table surrounded by chairs. In them sat six people, with one man at the head. Against the walls leaned the figures of several more, and an additional two stood beside the door. Each of them looked dramatically different with hair of all colors and styles, and various body types. The one thing everyone in the room had in common, however, was that they each wore jacket with the words 'Organization' in white letters decorating the back, bright against their black leather backgrounds.

The man sitting at the head of the table appeared to be the eldest, fine wrinkles stretching across his forehead and peaking out from the outer corners of blue eyes. His blonde hair was light, peppered with a few greys if one looked close enough to notice. New wrinkles appeared between his eyebrows as they furrowed in thought, and he took a long drag from the cigarette between his lips. He leaned in, resting his forearms on the table as he stared at the woodgrain. The other men waited in silence as the man drew the smoke slowly into his lungs, and parted his lips enough to let out a long exhale with the cigarette still trapped between them.

When nothing was said, a man with silver hair shifted a bit in his seat, and parted his lips to speak. "Cid, I think you will agree that we need to retaliate. We cannot allow them to start working our turf and simply do nothing. What will you have us do?"

The blonde man, Cid, scowled. He removed the cigarette from his lips and tapped off the ash in the ashtray next to him, before returning it to his lips for another drag. "We're going to send them a message that will leave no room for interpretation," he answered in a low, calm voice. His gaze moved to the two men standing by the door. "Boys, you know what to do," he addressed them, his tone hard, "get them off our turf, and give them a proper sendoff." The man's eyes glanced back to the table, and the corner of his lips curled up in a partial smile that his eyes did not mirror.

The large men Cid was speaking to nodded their heads in silence, and turned to make their leave. One of the figures leaning against the wall, significantly smaller than the others took a step forward. It was a young boy, who spoke with his green eyes wide in surprise. When he spoke, his voice was hushed, and sounded much more meek to himself than he would have liked. "What are they going to do to them, boss?"

Cid's eyes met the boy's and his lips pressed together. He was too young to be amongst his group and yet here he was anyway, his leather jacket too big on his boyish frame. His hair sat wild around his youthful face, framing it in spikes of red. "In this business, Axel, you sometimes need to make difficult decisions," he explained as the others began to file out of the room. "Life is precious. But when someone tries to take what belongs to the Organization, they've already made the choice about their fate. Do you understand?"

The man's eyes were soft as they watched Axel's face fall as he understood the older man's words, and Cid stood to place a reassuring arm on the boy's shoulder and give it a squeeze. Axel was only 13, much too young to be in a gang as dangerous as Cid's. However, the boy had no one save for his older brother Reno, who was all too happy to join.

It was four years ago that Cid had found the boys, Axel and Reno, wandering his streets late one night. From an alley between two buildings where the light from the street lamps did not reach, he had heard a rustling as he walked along the sidewalk and stopped. Raising a single eyebrow, he peered down the alley and saw two boys. The larger of the two was holding the smaller up beside a dumpster, where the smaller boy appeared to be retrieving something. A little suspicious but more so curious, Cid turned and walked into the alley toward the boys, an unlit cigarette dangling between his lips.

"What're you boys doing?" he grunted.

Startled, the older boy dropped his brother, and turned toward the man as Axel's rear his the ground with a thud. "Oww, Reno!" he cried, before turning his attention to the older man that had interrupted them.

"I'm sorry sir," Reno began, his hand going to rub the back of his neck sheepishly. "We were just looking for something to eat, we didn't mean no harm."

Cid looked between the two boys, with their matching red locks. They could have been twins, had the one boy not been obviously older. One appeared to be fourteen, no older than fifteen. The younger couldn't have even been ten. And where bright green and fearful eyes looked at him from Axel's face, Reno's shined a soft blue-grey.

A little caught off guard, all Cid could manage was, "From the dumpster?" Closer inspection of the boys provided all the answer Cid had needed. They were visibly dirty, and their clothing had definitely seen better days. He could make out a visible toe from a hole in the top of Axel's shoe, and the man's brow furrowed as his heart sunk. Neither boy had the chance to react before Cid spoke again. "No, that won't do. Come with me, we're going down to the diner, ya hear? Get you kids a proper meal."

Excitement beamed in Axel's bright eyes and he quickly stood up with a grand smile, but Reno stuck his arm out in front of the boy to stop him from walking toward the man, his eyes narrowed at the blonde. "In exchange for what?" he spat with suspicion.

Cid frowned, his blue eyes meeting Reno's slate. The question bit at him, and he couldn't help but wonder how long these two boys had been living on the street. Long enough to be rightfully suspicious at least. The blonde sighed and lit his cigarette, tucking the lighter back into his pocket while he inhaled the smoke. "Ain't nothing I want from a kid."

Reno's eyes continued to accuse as he bit back, "Everybody wants something."

Cid rolled his eyes, even though he had to agree with the boy. The world is not a nice place, let alone the streets. If he had stopped to consider what had been asked of the boys in the past, he would have shuddered. "Fine, you want me to want something? I buy you each a meal, you tell me why you've got such a shit attitude and why you're dumpster diving for meals. Then you two get outta my hair and we're fair and square."

Reno continued to stare at the man, clearly still apprehensive but considering his offer. Axel was looking intensely at his brother, eyes begging. "Please Reno, I'm so hungry," he cried, barely above a whisper.

"No funny business?" Reno questioned, eyes still narrowed.

"None. We'll go to the diner, and then we'll part ways. Public place the whole time."

The gears were turning in Reno's head, playing out the possibilities. If the man had wanted to hurt them, he certainly could have done that already. Even under a leather jacket it was obvious that the man had a muscular build that Reno wouldn't have been able to fight off of him, and a back alley with no one around was the perfect place to do it. It didn't make sense to take them to a diner where there would be people if he was just going to hurt them. "Okay."

The younger boy grinned from ear to ear as Reno's arm dropped from in front of him, and he ran up to the blonde man. "I'm Axel!" he said proudly, before pointing to his brother, "And he's my brother Reno!"

The tinniest of smiles pulled at the corners of Cid's lips at Axel's enthusiasm, but he quickly suppressed it. "Cid Highwind," he introduced himself gruffly, and began to walk down the street toward the diner.

The boys followed after him, Reno's eyes trained on the white letters on the blonde's leather jacket. He was only fourteen, but he knew what the Organization was from their time on the streets. He knew that they pretty much ran the underground of the city, though not much more than that. Forcing his voice to sound as tough as he could manage, he worked up the courage to ask what he wanted to know. "So, you're in the Organization?"

Cid glanced over his shoulder at the boy walking behind him from the side of his eye, "No."

Reno was taken aback, eyebrows dropping in confusion, "But your jacket-"

"I'm not in it," the older man interrupted, still looking straight ahead, "I _run_ it."

Reno regarded Cid with awe, and none of them spoke until they got to the diner, settled into their booth, and gave their orders to the waitress.

Once she delivered their meals- a burger with fries and strawberry milkshake for Axel, chicken fingers with fries and a chocolate milkshake for Reno, and a black coffee for Cid, did the man finally speak. "So? Where are your parents?"

Over chewing a mouthful of burger, Axel was the first to answer, "Dad's dead. Don't know where mom is."

Reno's eyes met Cid's, and he mimed an answer as he sipped his milkshake, tapping two fingers against the skin of his arm and then making as if to inject something. Cid inferred the meaning quickly, and frowned. "What about foster care?"

Reno gulped his milkshake and cast his eyes down at his plate. "Believe me, the streets are better than where we were." His tone was solemn, foreboding. The blonde didn't dare inquire more.

Axel's eyes saddened, and he looked quietly down at his plate as well as he continued to eat.

The blonde sipped his coffee, and nodded. He couldn't help feeling bad for the boys, and something in him compelled him to help. Maybe it was because he didn't have any children of his own, maybe it was because being the head of the Organization had gotten him used to taking care of others in his own way. Maybe the reason didn't matter. But as he sat there in the booth of the diner with the two red haired youths, he decided he couldn't just do nothing.

"There's an extra bedroom at my house," he stated gruffly before taking another gulp of his coffee.

Once again apprehension returned to Reno's face and he eyed the man across from him. "Uh-uh. No way, we're not going to your house with you."

Axel's eyebrows pushed together and he looked at his brother, his expression caught somewhere between pleading and worry.

"If I wanted to hurt ya kid, I could have already."

Reno's suspicion did not waiver. "Why should we trust you?"

Cid took another swig of the hot coffee and gulped it down, before setting the mug back down on the table. "Honestly kid, ya shouldn't. But I've bought you a hot meal, no strings attached. You could finish your meal and walk right out and I won't try an' stop ya. But I'm offering you a warm place to sleep, and a hot shower. If you still want to leave after that I don't mind, and I still won't try to stop ya. But listen kid, this is probably the best offer you're going to get and you haven't got a whole lot of other options."

Reno tensed at Cid's words, and his slate eyes looked to his little brother as he continued to eat. A shower sounded really nice, and a bed sounded even better. He wasn't sure when the last time they'd had a shower was, and as hard as he tried to take care of Axel on his own he had to admit that it wasn't getting any better for them. He bit his lip as he thought, watching his brother, before finally raising his gaze to meet Cid's.

"We can leave whenever we want?"

"No questions asked."

The first night at Cid's was tense for the boys, no matter how relaxing it had been when they had finally gotten to shower. When they had arrived Cid had given them a brief tour of his house, gave them a change of clothes each with a gruff apology about how they would be too big. He told them that if they needed anything they should knock on his bedroom door but that otherwise, he'd leave them alone for the night. Reno was still very nervous about his decision to stay in the strange man's house, but his assurance that he was going to leave them be helped him to feel a bit better. Briefly, he had considered robbing the place and running, but upon remembering that Cid was the leader of the biggest and most feared gang around he immediately thought better of it. Once showered, he walked back into the guest room where Axel laid spread out like a starfish on the bed, already clean and dressed in Cid's oversized clothes that were his makeshift pajamas. His eyes were closed, and he was smiling softly, but still clearly awake.

Reno kicked the bed just hard enough to shake it, and Axel opened bright green eyes to look at him quickly before closing them again with a sigh of contentment. "You can't sleep like that," Reno barked, "There's only one bed so we have to share it."

"I know," the younger boy chirped, "I'm just enjoying how it feels right now."

Reno rolled his eyes, rubbing the towel over his long hair before beginning to change. Once he pulled the sweatpants Cid had lent him up and tied the waist so that they wouldn't fall down, Axel rolled onto his side and peered at his brother with a grin. "I like Cid, I think he's nice."

Reno shrugged. "Guess we'll see."

"How long do you think he'll let us stay here?" the boy asked curiously.

"Probably not long," the older boy replied with a frown as he pulled on a t-shirt that was several sizes too big. "So don't get too comfortable."

But Reno had been wrong. The two boys ended up living with Cid for just under four years, in which time Cid had turned the guest bedroom into a proper setup for two young boys, getting them separate beds and desks, and everything that a kid needed. After a few months had passed, he's asked for the boys permission to legally become his guardian, to which Reno had simply nodded expressionlessly, and Axel had cried softly and barely managed to squeak out a 'yes'. It had taken some doing and time and more paperwork than Cid had ever wanted to see in his life, but he made it happen. He was able to enroll the boys in school, though they had a lot of catching up to do. He spent the evenings he was home helping with homework and driving the boys to their various activities. For all intents and purposes, he spent his time being a father when he wasn't busy at the Organization.

That is, until Reno's eighteenth birthday, when he sat the man down to talk. "I want to join," he had stated, his eyes serious as he stared into Cid's. "I want to join and move Axel and I to our own place. I don't want to continue to rely on your kindness."

"And if I say you can't join?" Cid asked, lighting a cigarette as he leaned back in his chair at the dining room table.

"Then I'll take Axel and go make my own way for us, now that I'm old enough. You said we could leave whenever we wanted."

"Aye, I did." The blonde agreed, looking over the young man that Reno had grown to be. His hair was much longer now, tied into a ponytail at the nape of his neck. His features were starting to mature, though he still had a ways to go. His body which was once thin as a string bean had started to fill out to look more like a man's, with muscle building on once lanky limbs.

"You took Axel and I in, and I'll never be able to repay that favor," the young man pressed, "But I want to work for you. I want to be in the Organization because as far as family goes…" he pauses, pressing his lips together for a moment. "You're the closest Axel and I have."

Cid nodded, took another drag of his smoke, and exhaled. "If this is what you really want."

"It is."

Reno and Axel were living on their own in an apartment now. Reno had joined the Organization and was earning enough of a living to support himself and his brother. Axel had only tagged along with Reno at first, when Reno had no place else to bring him after school. But these days found Axel with the Organization daily, following Cid as he had decided to groom him to take over one day once Cid retired or otherwise perished.

It had taken a lot of thought from the man, who was filled with uncertainty about bringing a thirteen year old into this world of his. It was too young for sure, but once Reno had joined he realized that the older brother was a little too set in his ways, and unlikely to be fit for leadership unless he underwent a drastic personality change. With Axel being so young still, he still had a chance to cultivate him into the man he would need to be.

"Death… befalls any who defy the Organization," Axel whispered softly, bringing his green gaze to meet the eyes of the only father figure he had ever known. Father figure, and now mentor.

"That's right my boy," Cid clapped him on the back hard enough to make the boy stumble forward a step. "Now go wait outside for Reno, ya hear? Reno won't be long."

"Alright boss, see you tomorrow."

"And Axel," he added, stopping the boy in his tracks as he made to leave. "Make sure to do your homework. Reno says ya haven't been, and I won't have you be tarnishing the Organization's reputation by being illiterate, ya hear?"

The red head narrowed his eyes and tilted his head, "But isn't Cliff illiterate?"

"I mean it," he warned through gritted teeth, and Axel raised his eyebrows and nodded.

"Yes sir."

Cid gave a soft smile and waived Axel out of the room with his hand. "Get goin'," he insisted, moving to stand up and move on with the day himself.

After pulling into the driveway, Cid shut off the motorcycle and put the kick stand down before dismounting. The neighborhood was nice enough, all lawns manicured and crime rate was low, but best of all it was quiet, and the neighbors weren't the prying type. Cid's house was situated near the center of the dead end street, and was the smallest of them all. It had three bedrooms, with one converted into a sort of office that usually sat unused. It wasn't that he couldn't afford a bigger one- his business was lucrative, to say the least. However, it was only ever just Cid ever since the boys had left months ago, and a big fancy house would have attracted more attention than he wanted anyway. The guest bedroom that once was home to two twin beds and the red heads that used them was now returned to its former state; uninhabited and a single full sized bed in the center of the room, the boys' posters long gone and a fresh coat of paint. Downstairs the floor plan was pretty open, the kitchen leading right into the dining and living area.

He walked up to the covered porch that hugged the front of his blue house, and unlocked it to let himself in. Cid made his way through the living room and into the kitchen, where he dropped his keys on the counter. His hand was already reaching for the door to the fridge to grab a beer, which he unceremoniously popped the cap off of using the corner of the kitchen counter. One large step and a gulp in between, and he was making his way back into the living room, sliding out of his jacket and tossing it on the back of the couch before lazily dropping himself onto its cushions before taking another swig. A hand reached for the TV remote on the coffee table, but he was interrupted by the chiming of a doorbell.

He raised a singular eyebrow as he looked to the door. The man hadn't been expecting anyone, and no one from the Organization was allowed to come to his residence unless it was an emergency, for security and secrecy reasons. Curious and a little suspicious, Cid got up and walked to the door, beer still in hand. He hesitated for a moment, and the doorbell chimed again. The man rolled his eyes and pulled it open, "Alright, I hear ya, I hear ya-"

His gaze dropped down to look at a boy who couldn't have been more than eleven or twelve years old, staring up at him. The boy had blonde hair, spiked to one side as though he had tried to brush it down and failed. His eyes were a vibrant blue, and practically glowing with excitement as he smiled up at the man.

Surprised to find a young boy on his porch, and very confused, Cid managed to ask, "Uh, hi there kid. What can I do ya for?" The boy's face looked familiar, as though he'd seen him playing somewhere or in a mall or something.

The boy grinned, and Cid finally noticed that the boy was clutching a piece of paper in both hands. Maybe a little too hard in his excitement, as his fingers were curling in tightly and wrinkling it. "Excuse me sir," he started, "Is your name Cid Highwind?"

Cid peered around the boy, as though looking for the adult this child belonged to. When he spoke, it was slow and uncertain, with a hint of wariness. "It is."

It surprised the man, but the blonde boy's smile got even wider, drawing the older man's eyes immediately back, and pure elation shining in the kid's eyes. "I can't believe I found you! It took me so long, I was starting to think it was hopeless!"

Cid raised a hand to stop the boy, and leaned toward him, still unsure of what exactly was going on. "Okay kid, you found me. Who are you, and what are you doing here?"

The boy gave a look of embarrassment, and dropped his eyes. "I'm sorry, Mr. Highwind. My name is Roxas, and I'm here because…" the boy paused, bringing his blue gaze back up to meet Cid's before continuing, a little quieter this time, "I think you're my dad."

Cid stared at the boy. Looked at his beer. Brought his gaze back to the boy. Neither said anything as Cid stood there with his mouth partially open, glancing from the bottle in his hand to the boy in front of him and back again as he attempted to make sense of the words he was certain that he had just heard. The boy, Roxas, stood and observed the features of the man before him with worry in his eyes, eyebrows knitting together and biting his lip as he suddenly became very unsure of himself. He watched as the man's wrinkles deepened on his forehead as his eyebrows raised and lowered again, finally settling on taking another gulp of his beer with his eyes still wide and focused on him. Once he lowered the bottle again, he nodded a few times to himself and finally spoke. "I think you'd better come in kid, and tell me why you think I'm… why you think that."

He took a step back and held the door open for the boy to allow him entry. With a wave of a hand he motioned for the boy to follow him through to the dining table, where they sat across from each other and Cid took in and slowly released a deep breath. Cid opened his mouth to speak but then stopped, and took another drink from his beer as he stared again at the boy's face, his eyes running along the features.

Cid felt like an absolute idiot, not knowing earlier why the boy looked so familiar. Although the blonde hair and blue eyes were different, he knew that nose, knew the shape of those cheekbones and chin and the shape of those lips better than his own. After what seemed like an eternity and a millisecond all at once, the man finally spoke. "Who is your mother?"

The question was a formality really, as he as certain he already knew. Cid would have been able to recognize those features anywhere. Although the coloring was off, and the boy's face was more masculine, there was no mistaking the face of his former love looking back at him, and it felt like Cid's heart was breaking all over again, remembering when she left. How he never stopped loving her. The emotion rushing through him was so powerful that he saw Roxas' lips move, but didn't actually hear the name. It didn't matter.

"Okay," he responded with a nod, attempting to maintain his composure. "But how old are you?"

"I'm twelve years old," Roxas told him, uncertainty evident in his expression as he continued eye contact with the man before him.

A wince contorted Cid's face. Twelve years plus nine months… adds up so far. It was at least possible. And damned if the boy didn't look like his mother but with Cid's coloring…

"Did your mother tell you I'm your dad?" the man worked up the courage to ask, around the lump quickly forming in his throat.

Roxas' face fell a little, and he shook his head. "She… doesn't talk about you. Every time I tried to ask her who my dad- who you are- she just changes the subject."

A frown crossed the man's face, and he nodded. Some painful memories were resurfacing, from years ago when the boy's mom left. It was sudden, but he couldn't change her mind. She had wanted out, away from the kind of life Cid was leading as the new boss of The Organization. Suddenly she was concerned about it being a dangerous life, going on about how she didn't want to live that way. Their argument that night, the last night, had been massive. He'd been born a poor man, had little options to make something out of himself, but the Organization was his salvation. He was finally making money, finally able to provide for the love of his life and she had only wanted to leave, out of the blue. He began to wonder about it now; did she know she was pregnant when she left? Did she leave out of concern for her unborn child? And is that why she never even told him? Never told Roxas who his dad was?

"How, then… did you find me?" He asked, letting his eyes wander the boy's face. His features were so soft, such a stark contrast from the hardened edges and wrinkles of his own. The boy had so much of his mother in him, and so little of Cid. Was it really possible that this was his son?

The boy slid the paper he had been holding across the table to Cid, the sides crinkled from where it had been tightly held. "I found this in a box under my mom's bed."

Eyes slowly pulled themselves from Roxas, not wanting to look away, and moved to the paper, instantly recognizing his own handwriting. It was a letter he had written to the boy's mother close to the time they had first started dating, and he remembered it well. A love letter, with his full name signed at the bottom. Cid placed his elbow on the table and rubbed at his forehead before again raising his gaze.

Were Cid not such a hardened man, he might have cried from the surge of emotions inside him. He could feel the sting around his eyes that threatened tears, but they did not come. The letter Roxas had brought was a reminder of old pain, and to say he wasn't angry that this, that Roxas, had been kept from him for so long would be a lie. He was enraged. However, there was something else he was feeling too. A sort of mix of happiness, and relief at finding someone he hadn't known he had lost.

Roxas watched him, unsure what to make of the mixed emotions playing out on the man's face. He certainly wasn't what he had pictured his father looking like, having had a much less grizzled looking man in his mind's eye. It didn't change anything for the boy, however. He was still excited to be here right now, talking to this 'Cid' guy he had spent weeks searching for. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to uproot your life Mr. Highwind, I just wanted to-"

"Dad." The word was spoken matter of factly, but just above a whisper, and it caught Roxas off guard.

"I'm sorry?"

"You don't call your dad by his name," Cid said softly, as he looked into the boy's eyes, his tone a mix between disbelief and relief. "You just call him 'dad'."

Roxas smiled, and tears began to slip out of his eyes as relief washed over him. He couldn't help himself as powerful sobs began to come, years of longing and searching finally coming to a head and overwhelming him. His body shook with the power of it, his hands frantically trying to wipe away the tears that came more quickly than he could brush them away.

"Aww now," Cid stated while shaking his head and reaching over to ruffle the boy's hair, "Don't go doing all that yet. We still need to be sure and all."

Through sniffles and tears, the boy nodded, although the words did nothing to stop either.

And that was the very first time that Cid met his son, Roxas.


	2. Roxas

Roxas

Ever since that fateful day that Roxas had shown up at Cid's front door, his life had changed for the better. After a paternity test had confirmed what the two were already certain of, Cid had become a real part of Roxas' life physically and financially.

It was awkward at first, when the boy had to tell his mom what he had gone and done, and subsequently got grounded for taking such a long bus ride from home without so much as a note. Even more so the first time Cid had come over to speak to his mother. They had sent Roxas to his room so they could speak privately, but he could still hear their muffled voices. He had heard what sounded like a hushed argument, although he hadn't been able to decipher much other than their tone. In the end, it was agreed that Roxas would spend every other weekend at Cid's, and he was always excited when his dad would show up to get him on those Friday nights. Especially when he took the motorcycle instead of the car on sunny days, where he would smile in excitement the whole forty-five-minute drive out to Radiant Garden. It hadn't been easy to convince his mother to let him ride on the back of Cid's motorcycle, but with her stipulation of a helmet and knowledge of how safe Cid was on the road, she had finally allowed it.

However, not everything was quite perfect. He'd had hopes of his mother and father reconciling whatever their differences were, so that they could live together as a family. Although they were always pleasant toward each other, and he could always see affection in their eyes when they looked at each other, his parents kept their interactions brief for the most part. His idealized image of his family never came to be.

As the sunlight danced across his eyelids to rouse him from his sleep, and consciousness started to penetrate the boy's mind one Saturday morning, he was happy. The way things were now were still great, if not perfect.

The boy rubbed at his eyes and sat up a little in bed as he opened them. The sunlight drifted in through his bedroom window at his dad's house, illuminating the posters on the wall and half-finished homework at his desk. He grinned and swung his legs over the side of the bed to where last night's clothes still lay scattered on the floor.

It had been three years since the blonde had finally met his father, the boy now a spunky fifteen-year-old. He had settled into the routine of weekends at Cid's, and his father had even agreed to help his mother pay for the private high school Roxas had worked hard to be accepted into, back home in Twilight Town. He'd been working on getting in for years, knowing it would be his best chance of getting into the college of his dreams. They were sister schools, so when he'd gotten the acceptance letter he was thrilled. When his mother had seen the tuition, however, his dreams were nearly dashed. He expressed his disappointment at not being able to attend over the phone to his father, who had insisted that he would take on the whole cost if it meant Roxas could attend. The boy had cried with happiness, not having expected Cid to take such a stake in his education.

He had grown so used to Cid too, that it felt like he had always been around. After the first few months of getting to know each other, they had settled into a father-son relationship that suited them both. One thing that Roxas could always be sure of was that Cid loved him, and he loved him back.

Today would be a day with some father-son bonding, and Roxas couldn't wait. Still dressed in his loose-fitting pajamas he made his way downstairs into the kitchen, where the promising scent of breakfast came wafting out. As he approached he saw Cid standing over a skillet at the stove with his back to the boy, as well as plates piled high with eggs, toast, and pancakes sitting on the island in front of two of the three stools there.

"Morning," Roxas called in greeting to the man who was moving the contents of the skillet with a spatula.

The older man looked over his shoulder and grinned as he spoke, "Morning, Rox! Have a seat, breakfast is almost ready."

The boy moved and took a seat at one of the stools, eyeing the mountain of food Cid had piled on his plate, feeling hunger start to rumble in his stomach. A moment later, Cid had walked over with the skillet and was adding bacon to both of their plates. After he'd set the skillet down, the man poured them each a glass of orange juice and took a seat by his side.

For a few minutes, the only sounds were murmurs of contentment at the delicious food, and the sounds of cutlery against the plates. After the younger blonde started to feel the pangs of hunger subside, he looked to his dad. "So, what time are we going to the skate shop?" he asked, having been excited for this day for the past two weeks. His father had promised to buy him a new board, after the boy had recently broken his with an ill-timed attempt at a trick.

Cid's brow furrowed slightly, and he raised his arm up to check the time on his watch. "Going to have to head out of here soon if we're going to make it in time, kid. Got a call this morning and I have to stop in at work this afternoon to take care of something."

Roxas frowned and furrowed his brow, "Dad, you promised."

Four blue eyes met each other, and Cid's expression was soft. "I didn't say we're not going, Rox. Just that we need to hurry up. Finish up your breakfast then get dressed."

To be fair, it wasn't often that Cid left to take care of anything at work when Roxas was around. On the rare occasion that he did, the boy understood. He wasn't entirely sure what his dad did, only that it was something involving 'distribution' and that it was his own company. He also owned a mechanic shop in town, and although his dad didn't talk about work much, Roxas was proud of him for being an entrepreneur. So, he nodded and took another bite of pancake, picking up the pace. He knew he should consider himself lucky, because Cid was always a man of his word, even if he had to make adjustments to plans sometimes.

Once he finished his meal, he excused himself and ran up to his room. He rummaged in his dresser drawer past the neatly folded school uniforms for the rare occasion when he would spend a Sunday night, and retrieved his clothes for the day. He pulled on a red t-shirt, a dark wash pair of jeans, and a black hoodie on top since it was still early spring and a little chilly. He checked his mirror to look at his hair, swept up to the side in blonde spikes and made a feeble attempt at smoothing them. After a moment he gave up, waving his hand at his reflection, and grabbed a pair of socks from his top drawer before pulling on his favorite, and slightly worn, pair of black vans.

The youth practically catapulted himself down the stairs, where he saw his father waiting for him with keys in hand. "All set?" his dad asked, dressed in a pair of jeans and simple white t-shirt himself.

"Yeah, I'm all good." The teen replied, following after his father as he started toward the door. The older man locked up, then unlocked the unassuming black car in the driveway where they piled in. Key in the ignition and started, Cid waited until he saw that the boy was buckled in, then backed onto the road and began driving to their destination.

Roxas' eyes glanced out the window to watch the houses pass. "So, what's going on at work?" he asked casually.

Cid sighed, "Ah- one of my employees has gotten themselves into a bit of trouble. Gotta go clean up the mess they made."

"Sounds like a pain," the boy commented.

"Yeah," his dad agreed. "Might be on your own for a bit longer than usual today. You going to be okay?"

The teen leaned his cheek on his hand as he continued staring out the window, uninterested. "I'll be fine, dad," he assured.

On the other side of the car, Cid's lips curled into a frown. "Don't like leaving you alone."

Roxas turned to look at his father and offered a small smile. "It's really okay, dad. Besides, they don't let me go to Kingdom High for free, do they?"

The older blonde let out a single laugh, "Ya got that right, kid."

When they arrived at the skate shop, a little place near downtown, the teen immediately wandered to a wall where lots of boards were hung on display. He looked at them all with a smile on his face, thrilled to finally be replacing his old board after many years of use. When Cid walked up behind the boy, Roxas turned to look at him over his shoulder.

"What's my budget, dad?" he asked, ready to crunch the numbers and figure out what to spend on the board, trucks, etc.

But Cid simply shook his head, his usual hard expression softening a bit. "Don't you worry about that, Rox. You just pick out whatever you want and call it a back payment of child support."

Roxas raised a single eyebrow at him. "You always say that."

"Yeah, well," Cid rubbed his nose quickly with a fist and looked at the ground. "Got a lot of catching up to do."

Roxas smiled softly at his dad and let the conversation drop. The only thing he hated more than the fact that Cid had missed out on the first twelve years of his life was how much guilt the older man felt over it. Even though his dad had no reason to suspect Roxas even existed until he finally showed up, he knew his father was constantly trying to make up for something that wasn't his fault. At first Roxas had protested, insisting that gifts and money weren't the reason he had wanted to find him. These days, he protested a little less often, allowing his father to spend on occasion if it eased his guilt a little.

Cid wandered the shop as Roxas looked over his options, taking his time to find a balance between what he wanted and what wasn't excessively expensive. After making some touch choices in regard to the board, truck, wheels, hardware, and even the grip tape, Roxas stood with his hands in his pockets while watching the employee assemble his choices.

His father walked up behind him and placed a box on the counter by the register, catching Roxas' eye. "What's that?" he asked, nodding to it as the man approached him.

"New pair of the shoes you're wearing. They're starting to look a little tired."

"What? They're fine, dad," he protested, looking down at his feet. Upon inspection, his shoes did look a little worse for wear. None of his toes were sticking out or anything, but the fabric was thin in places, he had to admit.

"You can have the nicest clothes in the world, Rox, but if you show up in shoes like those," he nodded to the boy's feet, "people are going to think your mom and I are broke. You go to school with highbrows these days, you need to look like you belong."

Roxas sighed in defeat and nodded, walking over to check that the shoes his dad had picked were the same style and correct size. They were. Finished with assembling the skate deck, the employee passed it to Roxas and began to ring them out on the register. Roxas watched while the employee told Cid the total, and the man retrieved his wallet from his back pocket. As usual, his father pulled out several large bills from the thick stack in his wallet.

"You know, debit cards are easier," he commented, for what felt to him like the millionth time.

Cid grunted and shrugged as he passed the money to the cashier. "I prefer to work with cash."

Cash was given, change received, the shoebox placed into a bag and held by Cid, and the two walked out of the shop as the older blonde dropped the coins in his pocket. Excited, Roxas dropped his deck to the ground and skated toward the car, earning a low chuckle from his dad.

"That excited?" he called after him with a smile as he followed.

Roxas simply beamed a grin back at him, performing a simple trick just before he reached the car, and took the board back into his hands. "Are you kidding? I'm ecstatic! I'll finally get to stop having to share Hayner's board when we go to the skate park!" he answered as his father approached the car and unlocked it. "Thanks, dad."

A smile lit up Cid's face, reaching his eyes. "You're welcome, kid. Get in, I've got to get going."

The two got in the car and began the drive home, with Roxas explaining some tricks that he and Hayner had been working on while the older man just smiled and listened. When they arrived, they walked into the house, the boy's shoes and new skateboard left by the door. Cid retrieved his leather jacket from the hallway closet and held it loosely in one arm as he turned to his son.

"I'm going to head out. Do me a favor, will ya?" the older man asked and nodded toward the kitchen, "Wash the dishes from this morning, and try to do some homework so we can relax when I get back."

"I'm on it," the boy replied while giving the man a thumbs up.

"Thanks. See you later Rox, love you."

"Love you too, dad."

Once Cid had left and closed the door behind him, Roxas made his way into the kitchen and turned on the hot water of the faucet. He donned a pair of gloves and wet his sponge before applying some soap and starting to work on washing one of the plates. Before he had finished rinsing it off, he heard the sound of a motorcycle approach, and shut off. He glanced over his shoulder toward the front door curiously but heard his father's car start a moment later and so he shrugged and continued his task.

Cid was gone for several hours, and in that time Roxas had cleaned the dishes, finished what was left of his homework, and grabbed his board to go practice tricks in the driveway. Once he was on the porch however, he spotted a motorcycle parked behind his father's, leaving room for where Cid's car had been. He raised an eyebrow, wondering who it belonged to. The cold metal of the bike didn't offer any clues, and so Roxas ignored it in favor of his original plan of practicing.

The blonde eventually settled into the couch in front of the TV, flipping through the channels. He pulled his phone from his pocket which now read 3:30, and answered a text from his friend Hayner about their English homework. He scrolled through his Instagram feed for a while, no longer paying attention to the television which had failed to provide him with any entertainment. A low grumble had started in his stomach and the boy realized that he had forgotten to eat something for lunch. He hoped his dad would be up for an early dinner and wondered if he could convince him to go to his favorite wings place here in town. He opened his text messages and began to write one out to his father, when he heard a car pulling into the driveway.

Hungry and inpatient, Roxas stood up and ran to the door, pulling it open to rush out onto the porch. As his father opened his car door, Roxas gripped the railing and leaned over a bit, calling out to him. "Dad! Can we go to-" but his words caught in his throat as he noticed that the passenger side door was open, and a boy about his age stood there, his green eyes locking on blue. He watches the boy's expression flash from surprise, to eyes narrowed in confusion, his lips twisting to a frown.

The blonde teen felt his mouth hanging open as he stared at the other boy, with bright red hair in spikes. His piercing green eyes hold Roxas captive with a look that was almost as though he was angry with him. The redhead closes the car door but doesn't look away. The blonde continues to stare, feeling a mixture of confusion and something else he can't identify.

The words "Go where?" jolt the boy back to reality, and he looks to his father in confusion.

"Uh."

The older man looks at the strange boy, and Roxas follows his gaze as the man speaks. "I'll see you later, Axel." He starts to make his way to the porch as he shrugs out of his jacket to carry it instead. The boy's eyes return to his father, surprise and confusion still evident on his face as the man approaches. "Let's go inside."

Roxas takes a gulp and nods, but his eyes wander back to the other boy. While he wasn't watching, he'd donned a helmet and straddled his bike, getting ready to leave. Finally remembering himself, Roxas turns and follows Cid into the house, not looking back as he hears the other boy leave.

Closing the door behind him, blue eyes look to his father. "Dad, who was that?"

Cid hangs his jacket in the closet as he speaks. "Huh? Axel? He works for me after school."

"What does he do?" Roxas inquired. Something about the other boy- Axel- had made him uncomfortable, and it showed in his face and body language as he rubbed the back of his neck.

Cid sighed, uncertain where the sudden curiosity came from, and how to explain. "He's sort of like… an apprentice. He mostly shadows me for the time being." The man paused only momentarily, deciding to take the opportunity to change the subject. "Anyway, where did you want to go, Rox?"

"What?" the boy asked, before remembering his original train of thought. "Oh, right. I was going to ask if we could go to Donald's for wings tonight. I forgot to eat lunch, and I'm starved."

His father smiled and gave a nod. "Sure kid, I skipped out on lunch too. Go throw on your new shoes, and put on a jacket, it's getting chilly."

"Okay," the boy responded, scurrying off to do just that, more questions still churning in his head.

The trip to Donald's was quiet, while more and more questions popped into Roxas' mind. He wasn't sure why he was so interested in the red-haired boy, but his mind remained on him even as he sat at the booth at the restaurant, staring at the cartoon chicken on the menu that he swore looked more like a duck. After placing their orders, the teen watched his father take a drink from his beer glass, and finally spoke up.

"Isn't he a little young to be working already?"

Cid placed the glass down and met his son's blue eyes with his own. "He's sixteen," he answered.

"Why is he apprenticing under you?" he asked, not breaking eye contact.

The older man cleared his throat. "I want him to take over the business when I retire," he answered before taking another sip of his drink.

Roxas felt his heart sink into his stomach. He wasn't even sure what it was that his dad really did, apart from owning the mechanic shop, but he was pretty sure that typically sons were the first choice when it came to leaving your business to someone. He'd never thought about it enough to want it, but knowing now that it wasn't a possibility hurt him more than he would have ever realized. "Oh," he murmured, looking down to his glass of soda where he started swirling his straw around the ice. "Not me, then?"

Cid frowned as he watched his son's expression fall, and his shoulders slump down. "It's not like that," he reassured, "It's just that this business was my dream, but it's probably not yours. I want you to find your own dream, and I want to help you make it happen."

The boy understood what his father was saying, and he was pretty sure he didn't want a life in 'distribution', whatever that meant. Still, some part of him had wished his father had asked him first. He thought for a moment about everything his father had done for him, and thought himself selfish for wanting this from him too. He didn't want to seem as selfish as he was feeling, so he met his father's gaze with a grin. "Yeah, you're right," he replied, "this way I get to follow my own dreams."

His father smiled back, and the subject was dropped in favor of talk of school until their food came. The jealousy blossoming in Roxas' heart was squashed down for the time being.

But once the two had eaten and were home, and Roxas was alone in his room after spending some time watching a movie with Cid, those feelings resurfaced. He was sprawled out on his bed, staring at the ceiling, wondering just what it was that Axel had that he _didn't_. He understood that Axel being his father's apprentice meant that he probably spent more time with him than Roxas was able to, only staying every other weekend. The thought made his jealousy intensify. He found himself rolling his eyes as he thought about how the redhead had been wearing a leather jacket just like his father's, and how stupid it looked what with it being too big for his lanky frame. He decided that the way his red hair stuck out in spikes looked ridiculous, and what kind of name was 'Axel', anyway? He loathed how Axel had looked like a better fit with Cid with that hard look and sharp features, suddenly hating how much more he had taken after his mother with his own soft, round features. The more he thought of the other boy, the more his jealousy turned to anger and hatred.

By the time Cid had poked his head in to tell him it was time for sleep, the boy was seething. However, he managed to hide it long enough to wish his father goodnight, before changing into his pajamas and getting into bed.

The next morning, Roxas awoke to the sound of his phone buzzing, and grunted in annoyance as he rubbed his eyes. He'd slept terribly, not falling asleep until early in the morning and felt groggy as he slowly tried to open his eyes and reach for his phone.

He scowled at the screen as he looked at his notification, a text from Hayner and read it.

**Hayner: **What time will you be home?

Roxas unlocked his phone and typed out his reply that Cid wouldn't drop him off until after dinner, as usual. He sat up, resigning himself to the fact that he probably wouldn't be able to fall asleep. Which he decided was just as well, since he could smell something cooking downstairs.

He wandered into the kitchen and said good morning to his dad as he took out some plates to set on the counter in front of the stools. His father nodded to him as he cooked, and Roxas retrieved the cutlery and glasses before sitting down at his place. The sleep had done nothing to elevate his mood and he sat in irritated silence as the older man began piling waffles, ham, and eggs onto their plates and pouring juice into their glasses. When Cid sat down and noticed that the teen hadn't started eating, simply sitting and scowling at his plate, he lightly elbowed him.

"What's with you, kid?"

"Huh?" Roxas looked up, ripped from his thoughts. "Nothing, just tired is all."

His father gave him a thoughtful hum but didn't inquire further when the boy began to eat. "Whole day is free," he commented, "anything you wanted to do today?"

Roxas swallowed a piece of waffle. "I thought I'd go to the skatepark for a bit, if that's okay. Test out the new board." The truth was he wanted to skate off some steam, to try to improve this sour mood of his.

"Sure," Cid replied, "but be back before lunch? Want to spend some time with you before I have to bring you back to your mom's."

"Yeah, I can do that."

"Want me to drop you off?" Cid asked, then shoveled some ham into his mouth.

"Nah, it's not far. I'd rather skate there."

The older man nodded, and the two finished their breakfasts. Afterwards, Roxas took a shower and went to his room to change into some clothes. He opened his drawer and pulled out a pair of underwear, jeans, a red t-shirt with a grungy checker pattern on it, and a white zip up hoodie. He stopped at his mirror and gave a disheartened sigh when he saw that his hair was drying up and to the side in spikes as usual. It somehow always just looked unkempt. He swiped some styling cream into it in an attempt to tame it, but all he managed to do was define the spikes. He shook his head and walked out of his bedroom, and down the stairs.

Cid was lounging on the couch and flipping through the channels when he got downstairs, but the man looked up to him as he crossed the room. "Heading out, Rox?"

"Yeah, I'll be back before lunch," he assured, slipping on his shoes and grabbing his board.

"Alright, love you, Rox."

"Love you too, dad," he called as he closed the door behind him. He strode down to the sidewalk, dropped his board onto it and hopped on.

As he made his way to the skate park, he already felt his tense body relax a little. He may not have been the world's best skateboarder, but it was an activity that numbed Roxas' mind. He didn't think about much when he skated, just felt his body keep his balance and felt the wind tousle his hair. The way to the skatepark was fairly level and easy to navigate, enough that he probably could have done it with his eyes closed.

When he arrived, the place was nearly empty, only two other teens skating a bit further in. So, he made his way to the stairs and began to practice grinding the railing. He was successful more often than not, and eventually got bored and moved on, tuning out the voices and sounds of traffic around him, losing himself in the activity.

About a half hour after he had arrived, he paused to wipe a bead of sweat from his forehead, and something red caught his eye. His eyes darted to the offending color, to see a group of teens on the other side of the park. There was a blonde, dressed casually in jeans and a t-shirt skating on the half pipe, and a boy with shortish, spiky blue hair, sitting relaxed against the nearby chain link fence looking uninterested, in jeans and a black leather jacket. But he barely noticed those two, blue eyes fixed on the redhead he had seen the previous day. Axel stood, arms crossed, against the fence next to the boy with blue hair, dressed in black jeans, and a white t-shirt under his black leather jacket. He was smirking, his green eyes fixed on Roxas who scowled at him.

Suddenly not at all interested in staying to skate, he hopped back on his board and made his way to the exit, which was unfortunately in their direction. As he approached, Axel called out to him, causing him to stop.

"Hey." The redhead said in greeting, eyeing the blonde with a hint of curiosity. "You Cid's kid?"

The blue haired boy raised his eyebrows and looked the blonde over.

Roxas gritted his teeth and turned to respond, "Yeah, what's it to you?"

Axel scoffed and shook his head. "Gotta say, you don't look like you'd be Cid's kid."

Roxas stood straight and his hands balled into fists. "I look more like my mom."

Axel stood up straight, and Roxas noticed that he was quite a bit taller than he'd originally noticed. In fact, the older teen was a good six inches taller. "I can see that," he responded, waving a hand, "but regardless, that's not what I meant." His eyes wandered slowly down to Roxas' feet and back up again.

The younger teen swallowed hard and inferred his meaning. Cid was a tough looking man, grizzled from what he assumed was a hard life. Roxas looked like a cabbage patch doll in comparison.

Axel took a step toward him. "What's your name, kid?"

Something about the redhead's stance made Roxas tense up and lean back a little as if threatened. "Roxas."

He seemed to ponder the name for a minute. "Roxas." He repeated.

The blonde rolled his eyes. "What, do you need me to write it down for you?"

Axel grinned and leaned forward, tapping his index finger to his temple. "No need. Already memorized."

"Whatever," the blonde muttered, turning to continue to leave.

"Why is it," the redhead asked, raising an eyebrow and folding his arms back over his chest, "that I've never heard about Cid having a kid?"

Roxas stopped and stared back, surprised that his father had never mentioned him. "Well I've never heard about you, either."

With a dismissive waive of his hand, Axel replied, "Guess you two just aren't that close."

Anger boiled within the blonde, a nerve struck, and his fists clenched harder. "Say. That. Again." He threatened, fuming.

Axel chuckled. "Guess you two aren't that-"

His words were cut off as Roxas' fist collided with his jaw, his eyes widening in shock for a moment at the realization that Roxas had hit him. He quickly rebounded, throwing a hard punch to Roxas' stomach before the blue haired teen grabbed him, locking his arms under Axel's arms to hold him back while his blonde friend looked to Roxas, who had hunched over in pain.

"Are you okay?" the boy with dirty blonde hair asked Roxas.

Gasping for air, the other blonde nodded and replied through gritted teeth. "Yeah, I'm fine." He lied, the pain in his side radiating. For being kind of skinny the redhead could certainly pack a punch, and Roxas knew he'd have a bruise come morning if not sooner.

He stood up straight, to see the blue haired boy releasing Axel from his hold. The redhead moved his jaw, testing it. His eyes caught Roxas' blues, and he smiled. It was in that moment that he decided Axel was nuts.

"Way to go Roxas, fight fight fight." He gave a slow clap.

The blue haired boy rolled his eyes. "Lay off, Axel. You want the boss to find out you're fighting his son?"

"Not sure you should have let him go, Saix," warned the unfamiliar dirty blonde.

Roxas stared at the blue haired teen, Saix, surprised that he seemed to work for his dad too.

"I'd run off if I were you," the unidentified blonde advised, his tone not at all threatening, but somewhat urgent.

Not needing to be told twice, Roxas hopped on his skateboard and went home as fast as the board would take him, and the pain in his side would allow.

Once he was in the front door, he dropped the board, and slipped out of his shoes, scowling. Cid's blue eyes watched him from the couch, and he raised a single eyebrow. "You look out of breath," he commented.

"I'm fine," came Roxas' reply, more terse than intentioned.

"Something happen?"

The boy considered giving a retelling of the events at the skate park, but wasn't sure he wanted to admit to all of it. Axel had hit him, sure. Cid would definitely rip him a new one for that. However, Roxas had thrown the first punch, and knew that he'd get his own angry lecture. He decided to leave the violence part of the story out.

"Saw that Axel kid down at the park," he settled on, watching his father.

The older blonde leaned forward on the couch, pressing the 'off' button on the television remote and giving the teen his full attention. "Oh?"

Roxas nodded, "We didn't talk much, but…" he considered his words, not noticing how intensely Cid was watching. "He was kind of a jerk. I don't like that kid."

His father's head tilted slightly to the side, "Why, Rox? What did he say?"

"Nothing really," the youth responded, "he just kind of hit a nerve."

The older man visibly relaxed, leaning back into the couch. "Well if he bothers you, stay away from him. I'll talk to him."

"What? No, dad, I-" Roxas stammered, "Please don't. I don't want to be the kid that goes running to his dad. _Please_." He didn't want to seem weak to Axel, who seemed so much tougher than he was. Not only would it be embarrassing, but it would be like an admission that he had been intimidated by the other teen.

Cid sighed, understanding the boy's plight but his fatherly protective instinct kicked in anyway. "Fine, but if he gives you too much trouble you just say the world and I'll handle it."

Roxas nodded, "I promise."

Three years passed without any further run-ins with Axel, although he never forgot that first one. He caught sight of him from time to time, either around town or as he was coming or going with Cid, but they stayed away from each other for the most part, which suited Roxas just fine. His feelings of animosity toward the redhead were steadfast, and on the rare occasion that their eyes did meet, it was with glares from Roxas and half-smirks from Axel. In fact, it had been a long time since Roxas had even seen him in passing. In those years, lots of things had changed for the boy. When he was seventeen, he'd moved in with his father permanently when his mother had passed away after a year and a half battle with cancer. It had been hard at first, but Cid had welcomed him into his home and let him grieve as long as he needed to. He made everything official guardianship wise, and when Roxas was ready to go back to school Cid had gifted him with a car to save him from needing to spend an hour and a half on the bus each way.

But he was nineteen now, back home from college for the summer break after freshman. Although he was happy to be on vacation, he did regret that his best friends were a forty-five-minute drive away. He made the drive often, as sitting at home while Cid was at work proved to be boring pretty quickly. Today, however, was not one of those days. It was a Tuesday evening, and Roxas was busying himself by doing chores around the house. The sun was low in the sky as he grabbed the bag of garbage from the can in the kitchen and made his way outside with it.

He tossed the bag into the bin outside and was pushing it down the driveway as he heard the sound of a motorcycle approaching. He paid no mind to the noise until he got to the end of the drive, and the offending motorcycle stopped on the street in front of him.

The man riding it removed his helmet, revealing red spikes, longer now than they had been the last time he'd seen him up close, and green feline eyes. Shock shot through the blonde, but he managed to catch Axel's helmet when it was tossed to him.

"Get on," Axel demanded, expressionless.

One brow raising in a mix between surprise and disgust, Roxas held the helmet back out toward the red-haired man. "No thanks." He didn't know why he was here or what he wanted, but he was certain that he wasn't interested in going anywhere with the redhead.

Axel nearly rolled his eyes back into his head, clearly irritated. "I'm not here to take you out for ice cream, you idiot," he seethed, "Cid's been hurt. Now get on the damn bike!"

Fear struck him as he stood there in the driveway, coursing from his spine and radiating out towards his limbs. "What?!" The blood left Roxas' face as he spoke. "Is he okay?!"

"He will be," the redhead insisted, "but if you don't get on the damn bike I'm not going to be able to say the same for you."

Without another word, Roxas slid the helmet over his head, adjusting the strap quickly. He swung his leg over the back of the bike, and scooted closer to Axel than he would have preferred in any other situation.

"Hold on," the redhead advised, and the blonde wrapped his arms around the man's waist, which wasn't as thin as he'd remembered it being. Without another word, the two took off. As Axel raced them through the streets, Roxas felt anxiety over his father sweep over him. He was so panicked by the time that Axel had pulled in and parked at the hospital that as soon as the engine was off, he was darting toward the entrance, slipping off the helmet and holding it by the strap as he ran.

The older man followed after him, running to catch up. When he reached the blonde he was standing at the front desk demanding a room number. Axel tapped him on the shoulder and nodded toward a hall. "Come on, I know the way."

Axel was walking too slow for Roxas' comfort, but he kept that to himself as he followed him into an elevator and then down a hall, finally arriving at the room. The boy pushed past Axel and rushed in to stand beside the bed where Cid lay.

"Dad!" he nearly shouted as his eyes looked his father over. The bed was elevated so that Cid was almost in a sitting position, and bloodied bandages covered the left side of his bare chest. Blue eyes stared at them in horror, the red of his father's blood stirring the fear that still swirled in his chest.

"Roxas," Cid whispered, his voice shaky, a soft smile on his features.

Worry contorted the blonde's face as he stared at the wound, unsure what to make of it. He did not notice Axel standing behind him. "What happened?" he asked, quieter now.

Cid moved to speak, but Axel raised a hand and stopped him. "Don't, boss." He turned to Roxas who raised his gaze to meet the green eyes looking at him. "It hurts him to talk right now. Bullet to the chest, and although it missed his heart, it did some damage. He's already been in surgery and the bullet has been removed, but it's going to take some time to recover."

"S-shot?" Roxas asked but looked down to where his dad lightly placed his hand over his, and met Cid's blue eyes.

"I'm going to be fine," he manged whispered to his son. He held his reassuring smile, despite the pain he was in.

"He's not in any danger anymore," Axel interjected, "but he wanted to see you. Said you would worry if you didn't see him."

Roxas simply nodded, still watching his dad. "Does it hurt bad?" he asked softly.

"Like the Devil," the eldest man replied softly, smile never leaving his face.

"What can I do, can I get you anything?"

"No," Cid breathed. "No, nothing."

"He's going to need to stay here for a while," the redhead explained, "the doc said recovery would take a week or so, then after some physical therapy he should be as good as new."

The older blonde removed his gaze from his son, turning to Axel. "I want you to look after Roxas. Stay with him," he whispered, wincing at the pain it caused.

Roxas' brow furrowed. "Dad, I don't need a-"

"Got it." Axel interrupted. "And surveillance?"

Cid gave a slight nod, which was apparently the only response Axel needed. He grabbed Roxas by the shoulders with a heavy but not painful grip, and started to push him towards the door. "I'll have Saix keep you updated," he directed to the injured man, and then to Roxas, "Come on, we need to let your dad rest."

"What? No I-!" Roxas tried to protest, attempting to release himself from Axel's grip. But Axel was stronger, and all he could do was cry, "I love you, dad!" as he was pushed from the room and down the hall a little.

The blonde finally managed to shrug out of Axel's grip, with a biting, "I can walk on my own, thanks!"

The redhead raised and dropped his shoulders, placing his hands into the pockets of his jacket as the pair walked down the hall toward the elevator. Roxas still had plenty of questions, though.

"How did he get shot?" he asked, watching Axel as they walked.

"With a gun," the other man replied, casual disinterest lacing his voice, his eyes pointed straight ahead.

Annoyed, Roxas glared at him. "Obviously. And not what I meant."

"Well I'm not going to be answering any questions until we're back at the house," Axel countered.

"At the house?" Roxas questioned as they stepped into the elevator and the redhead pushed the button for the main lobby. "Wait- are you coming back to my house?!"

The redhead turned to look over the blonde, giving him a once over before raising an eyebrow. "Didn't you go to that fancy school out in Twilight Town? Why is this so hard for you?"

Insulted, the blonde drew back. "Because I have no idea what's going on!"

Axel chuckled as the elevator doors opened. "Man, Cid really didn't get his money's worth paying for that education," he commented, and strolled out into the lobby. As Axel walked ahead of him, Roxas read the word 'Organization' written in white lettering across the back of his leather jacket. These days, Axel stood a foot taller than the blonde, and so he had to walk fast to reach him again. They made their way into the parking lot before Roxas spoke up again as the redhead was getting on his bike. "Why are you coming to my house?" Roxas demanded.

A smirk crept onto Axel's features and he held a fist up to mimic holding up a microphone. "Thank you for choosing Axel's Radiant Garden Motorcycle Tours. We ask that you take a seat and keep arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times. We also request that you hold all questions until the end of the tour."

The blonde rolled his eyes and put the helmet back on, sliding onto the seat behind Axel, and placing his arms around his waist again as the engine roared to life. "You are so lame."

Axel simply laughed, and with that they took off.

When they finally got back to Roxas' house, he slid the helmet off and started to the door. "I never locked up!" he called as he ran onto the porch and to the front door. Once he was inside, he looked around him to see if there was anything obviously missing.

A moment later Axel strolled in, hands in pockets. "Relax, no one is stupid enough to rob this place," he assured, though Roxas didn't understand what he meant by that. The redhead continued onward into the kitchen. "Got any beer?"

"Uh, in the fridge," he offered, a little dazed from everything that happened in the past hour. After a moment, he wandered into the kitchen where he found Axel leaning against the counter, taking a swig from one of his dad's bottles of beer. He thought about asking him if he was old enough to drink for a moment but reconsidered. "Hey, tour's over. I want some answers."

Green eyes met blue and Axel nodded. "Shoot."

Now that he was out of his panic, he finally noticed how much Axel had changed over the years. Thick, lean muscle had replaced the teenage thinness of yesteryear, and lord was Axel tall. In the back of his mind, the blonde thought that he'd hate to be hit by him now. But Roxas had so many unanswered questions, he had to consider where to begin. He settled on asking about his father's attacker. "Who shot my dad?" he asked pointedly.

A sigh escaped the lips of the older man, and he took another drink of his beer before answering. "He works for a rival, but we've got him in custody."

He nodded, pleased at least that the man had been caught and was in police custody. But Axel's answer had raised another question, so the blonde continued, "A rival? What do you mean, like the owner of another distribution company?"

Axel let out a bitter laugh. "I mean, that's one way to put it."

Unsure of the redhead's meaning, the boy moved on. "So, what exactly did my dad mean when he asked you to watch me?"

"Well," he responded with a smirk, "pretty sure you can feed and walk yourself, so it sounded to me like he meant for protection. Looks like you and I are going to be roomies for a while."

The blonde started to shake his head, "Oh no. No no no." He waved his hands in front of him back and forth. "Thanks for the offer Axel, but I don't think I need protection from anything. I can take care of myself."

The look on Axel's face became incredulous. "What are you going to do, throw textbooks at someone pointing a gun at you?"

"A _gun_? Why on earth would anyone come at me with a gun? I still don't understand why someone shot _my dad _over a distribution business and a… _mechanic shop_!"

Realization dawned on the redhead, his features sinking into a look of seriousness as he turned his body to fully face the other man. "Roxas… do you really not know what your dad _does_?"

The look on Axel's face made the younger man uneasy. Each word uttered slowly, he asked another question. "What do you mean?"

"Oh boy," Axel murmured, shaking his head. He wandered to the rarely used dining table and took a seat, motioning for Roxas to sit across from him. "You better sit down for this," he advised, and took another sip of his drink.

Roxas did as he was told, staring at Axel and awaiting further explanation as he sank slowly into the chair.

"Look, I don't know what his reason is for never telling you this, but given… ya know, everything," the redhead waived his hands at their situation. "Let's agree that explaining it to you is the only way you're going to be cooperative."

"O..kay…"

"Have you ever heard of the Organization?" he asked leaning in and resting his arms on the table.

Roxas nodded slowly. "Yeah, they're a gang around here," he answered, and suddenly remembered the word on the back of Axel's jacket. "So wait, you and my dad are in that little gang?"

Axel smirked with pride and sat up straight, "Little? You must be joking. The Organization owns half of this city. It's tangled up in the politics around here, and what we don't own we get income from in exchange for our protection. We're everywhere."

"Okay," Roxas said, not fully grasping the Organization's reach. "But so, what? You're in a gang. That doesn't explain-"

"Not_ in_ a gang, Roxie," the older man interrupted. The blonde cringed at the nickname. "_Run _a gang. Your dad's the boss. It's his gang. That little garage he owns? Money laundering. Your dad runs this city, and someone wants his turf and will do whatever it takes to get it. Got it memorized?"

For the second time that evening, the blood rushed out of Roxas' face as realization hit. His mind flashed to all the secrecy surrounding his dad's work, the suspicious red stains that he sometimes saw on Cid's laundry that Cid would dismiss as having hurt himself. Then there was the late-night work emergencies, the way his dad always carried loads of cash. He felt his body start to shake and a wooziness come over him. A numbness swept over his body as his mind reeled with information. He thought of how he never knew anything at all about his dad's job, how his mother had glossed over why she had left him by saying she wanted a different life for the two of them and refusing to elaborate.

"Hey, you okay? You look like you're going to be sick," Axel asked with concern in his voice, breaking the other from his thoughts.

"Why would he keep this from me?" he murmured, barely loud enough for the redhead to hear him.

"If I had to wager a guess, I'd say for the same reason I'm here right now." Blue eyes met green, and the red haired man shrugged his shoulders. "He was probably trying to protect you."

Another thing dawned on Roxas as feeling started to come back to his fingers. "Wait, so when you said that the shooter was in custody-"

"Now you're catching on," Axel praised. "He's with our guys, getting interrogated as we speak. Once we get what we want out of him, I've given the order to have him taken care of." The redhead finished off his drink and set the bottle on the table.

The way Axel's expression had remained completely calm and nonchalant as he told Roxas he'd given the order to have a man murdered shook him to his core. How many people had Axel killed, directly or indirectly, he found himself wondering? And how many had his father killed?

All this time, Roxas had thought of his father as a modest but well-off business man. To find out that the clothes he wore, his car, his tuition for both high school and college may have been paid for with blood money was the biggest shock of his life. As much as things were finally starting to make sense, there was a part of him that wished he had never known. Cid had been a better father than he had ever dreamed of asking for, but who knows what he was doing while he was at 'work'.

"What else does the Organization do?" the blonde asked, feeling as sick as he must have looked. "I need to know."

He could see the gears turning in Axel's head as their eyes met again. The man's lips parted as if to speak, but quickly closed again. He averted his gaze and sighed.

"I have a right to know," the younger man pressed.

When green eyes locked to his again, he felt a shiver run down his spine. "Drug cartel, mostly."

Roxas sank in his chair in disbelief, swallowing around the lump that formed in his throat. He knew next to nothing about drugs aside from some experimentation with marijuana, and yet here he sat, the son of a kingpin.

Axel's voice broke a long silence between the two. "I don't get you, Roxas. You're properly educated, yet somehow you thought your dad was able to pay for expensive schools and all the clothes and gadgets that would make you look like you belong, and you just… never questioned it? You do know the economy is terrible right now, right?"

As much as the blonde wanted to bite back with a scathing retort, he just couldn't. He sat in the chair at the table silently, processing everything that had happened.

The redhead stood, the feet of his chair loudly scraping against the floor and pulled a phone from his pocket. After moment he started chatting on it loudly, barking orders to people Roxas assumed were in the Organization when he bothered to listen.

His father was the leader of an underground drug operation, and he now sat in the room listening to his second in command and future successor give orders to other members. And he had once punched said successor in the face, to boot. It was a lot to take in, and the blonde wished he could scream.

When Axel had finished his conversations and put the phone back in his pocket, Roxas finally spoke again. "I want to see my dad." He made to stand up, but Axel moved across the room quickly and placed a hand on his shoulder, keeping the blonde in his chair.

"No can do," the redhead countered, his expression serious. "Direct orders. Cid doesn't want you at the hospital in case someone comes to finish the job."

The younger man's eyebrows knitted together and his lip quivered. "Finish the job?"

Axel nodded. "It's unlikely," he reassured, "what with there being cameras, a hospital isn't the ideal place to murder someone. Not to mention that he's being watched by our guys. But he'd rather be safe than sorry, I guess."

"Will they be after you too, then?" He had asked the question so softly, he wasn't even sure the redhead heard him at first. Before he could repeat himself, the other man answered.

"Maybe," came the reply paired with a shrug of shoulders. "But I'm basically untouchable. Your dad taught me well, and I've got the advantage if I'm expecting them. Trust me kid, being with me is the safest you could be."

"Then how did they get my dad?" Roxas barked, his feelings morphing into anger that had nowhere to be directed. He chose to ignore the 'kid' comment.

Axel's face fell, and his eyes went to the floor. "I wasn't with him," he admitted with guilt lacing his tone.

The anger in Roxas subsided quickly, and an uncomfortable silence fell over the room. Roxas stared at his hands, and Axel shifted his weight from one leg to the other, staring out the window. His eyes were greeted with nothing but darkness as night had long since fallen.

"It's late," the redhead commented after a while, breaking the silence.

Roxas nodded, his mind brought back to their current situation. He loathed the idea of Axel staying with him, but he had a feeling the other man wouldn't budge on that if it was his father's orders. Physical force wasn't going to be an option either, since the man towered over the blonde and had a build like a stone wall. While Roxas had filled out a bit, he wasn't so delusional as to think he could overpower Axel. So, he resigned himself to the situation. His mind drifted to the sleeping situation, and he decided quickly that the idea of Axel sleeping in his dad's bed irritated him.

"I'll sleep in my dad's room," he finally answered. "You can take mine. It's upstairs-"

"I know where it is," the redhead interrupted casually.

The answer surprised the blonde, as he was fairly certain he had never seen Axel actually inside the house, but he let it go without pressing further and stood up. "Alright. I'm going to bed."

"I'm going to stay up for a bit," Axel replied, retrieving his phone from his pocket and looking at the screen. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Roxas simply nodded and grabbed his phone from where it had sat forgotten on the kitchen counter. He glanced at the screen as he walked, a dozen or so notifications from a group text amongst his friends about plans to go to the beach. The blonde ascended the stairs, his legs feeling heavy. Most likely from the emotional toll the evening had taken him. He stuffed the phone in his pocket and wandered into his room to grab some pajamas from his drawer, and his toothbrush from his bathroom before heading into his father's room.

In the master bathroom he brushed his teeth, changed into his pajamas, and neatly piled the day's clothes by the door, retrieving the phone from the pocket of his jeans. He sat on the edge of the bed and stared at the screen again before unlocking it and typing out a message into the group chat.

**Roxas:** My dad is in the hospital

He flopped backward onto the bed, his arms stretched out beside him. After a moment, his phone buzzed once in his hand. After another moment a quick succession of buzzes followed, and he brought the screen back towards his face.

**Olette:** OMG! Is he ok?

**Hayner:** Wat happened?

**Pence: **im so sorry Roxas. is he sick?

**Olette: **Is there anything we can do?

Roxas rolled onto his side and began typing.

**Roxas:** He was injured. He'll be okay, but he has to stay at the hospital for a while

**Roxas: **Thanks for the offer Olette but I'm alright. I'll talk to you guys tomorrow

**Hayner: **here if you need us. just say the word and we'll come

**Olette: **I'll keep Cid in my prayers. Let us know if you need anything.

**Pence: **ditto what Hay and Olette said. Tell Cid we're thinking about him

**Roxas:** Thanks guys

The blonde dropped his phone to the bed and stared at the walls of his father's room. His eyes drifted over the light grey walls to the black furniture, the comfortable familiarity of the room soothing the blonde. He thought to himself that it was a reflection of the way his father lived. It was tidy, the decoration simple and used sparingly, not revealing too much about the man other than that he was well organized. His gaze drifted to the dresser on the far wall, the top of it lined with photos in frames. Several picture frames were filled with photos of the two from various outings they'd had together, and a single photo of Roxas with his mother.

He grabbed the plug end of his father's charger from the nightstand and plugged his phone into it, placing it next to the lamp. He maneuvered his body so that he could slip under the sheets, pulling the plush comforter tightly around him. A part of him wanted to reach for his phone again, to tell his friends in detail what had happened, and about the Organization, but he resisted that urge. He wasn't sure he should, or could, ever tell his friends the truth. He needed to talk to his dad, before he said anything to anyone. However, that didn't look like it was going to happen anytime soon, since Cid wanted him away from the hospital.

As if everything going on wasn't bad enough, Roxas couldn't believe that his dad had charged Axel with protecting him. Of all the people he could have chosen, _why Axel?_ Although his interactions with the redhead had been few and far between over the years, he had never stopped resenting him and the relationship he had with his father. And even if that wasn't the case, something about the other man just rubbed him the wrong way. Not to mention that he was a criminal.

The thought that his father was also involved in organized crime occurred to him, and he shuddered.

The teen reached over and turned off the lamp, draping the room in darkness. He felt exhausted, but his mind was racing too hard for sleep to come quickly. The occasional muffled noise from Axel doing god knows what downstairs interrupted his thoughts, but he payed it little mind.

He didn't know what time it was as he lay still on the bed with his eyes closed, but he imagined that it must be pretty late when he heard quiet footsteps make their way to his bedroom. He turned onto his side and kept his eyes closed, hoping that If he could only find a comfortable enough position that his mind would quiet and he would at last fall asleep.

Sleep eventually took him, but his mind gave him no rest. He was tortured by nightmares that he awoke from several times throughout the night, waking up startled with cold sweat on his skin. Eventually exhaustion won out, and he finally fell into a restful sleep.

**Author's Notes:** Thanks for reading! I wanted to get this chapter out asap, to get the story moving along! The next chapter will be going over the same events but following Axel. After that, we're going to really get into the thick of our little plot, with Roxas and Axel's roommate situation being the main focus for a while. I hope you're enjoying it so far, I'm so excited to finally be writing it all down! The next chapter will be out sometime early next week most likely, so stay tuned!


	3. Axel

Axel

The first time Axel had met Roxas had been unforgettable, to say the least.

The day that he first saw him had started a lot like any other day. He lay in bed asleep on a Saturday morning in spring. The sun's rays had started drifting in from the window, and when they threatened to rouse him, he'd pulled the covers up over his head. In the comfortable darkness he drifted back into a peaceful slumber.

His hazy mind vaguely registered the sound of his bedroom door opening after the morning had drifted on sometime later, but it was a kick to the bed that shook him to consciousness with the shake it caused, as well as the voice that came after it.

"Wake up."

The teen grunted in response under the blanket and attempted to burrow further into the dark warmth of the bed. The sheets were forcefully torn from him, earning the man who had disturbed his sleep a cry of protest and a glare.

His brother Reno stood above him, amusement sparkling in his eyes. He was already dressed for the day, wearing a crisp white shirt with the top few buttons open under his leather jacket, and a pair of jeans. Sunglasses sat on top of his head nestled in red hair, spiky where it wasn't long enough to go back into his ponytail. He tapped the knight stick he was holding lightly on the younger redhead's shoulder. "That wasn't a request."

"Buzz off, Reno," the teen responded, batting the knight stick away and closing his eyes against the too-bright sunlight. "It's Saturday."

"My apologies. I didn't realize that you don't work weekends."

Green eyes begrudgingly opened, meeting a face that looked so much like Axel's own. That is, aside from the tattoos across Reno's cheekbones. "Work?"

The man nodded. "We've got a situation. I need to head out now, but Cid's going to be meeting up with you in an hour at his place. Get dressed."

Axel would be the first to admit that sleeping was one of his favorite hobbies, and weekends were his opportunity to indulge. School had him waking up at five am, which Axel was pretty sure that it was inhumane torture to subdue the teenage masses. After school, he would spend his evenings with Cid, until he eventually came home to do enough homework to at least pass his classes. Sleep was hard to come by, and the teen lamented the loss of his precious Saturday morning snooze. But keeping Cid waiting wasn't an option, so he swung his legs over the side of the bed and planted them onto the floor. "Okay."

Reno strolled out of Axel's bedroom, with a "Later bro," closing the door behind him.

Axel stretched his arms up, yawning loudly, before reaching for his phone on his nightstand. It was already eleven o'clock. The teen stood, rubbing at his eyes as he groggily wandered from his bedroom into the hall towards the bathroom. Reno and Axel's apartment was a small, two-bedroom one bathroom flat. The finishes were nice enough for a rental, and for the pair of redheads it had been home for the past three years. Reno kept a relatively tidy home, with a little help from the younger redhead on occasion, and the furnishings were sleek and modern. Axel wandered into the bathroom, did his business, and brushed his teeth before stepping into the shower.

The warm water was soothing but helped ease the grogginess from the teen as he washed up. He stood in the shower after he had finished washing, enjoying the water pulsating against his skin in hot droplets. After a while, he turned the shower off and wrapped a towel around his waist to make his way back to his bedroom.

He towel dried his body and hair and pulled a band t-shirt, pair of jeans, socks, and underwear from his drawers. Once dressed, he grabbed a pair of black steel-toe boots from where they lay on the floor and thrust his feet into them, lacing them up. He slid his leather jacket over his arms, and grabbed his phone, checking the time.

When he saw that he was supposed to be at Cid's in five minutes, he hastily grabbed a pair of keys off his desk and his helmet off the chair and darted to the front door. He quickly locked the door and gave a courteous nod of hello to a neighbor who was returning to their own apartment. He ran into the adjacent garage and threw himself onto his motorcycle. In an instant he was off, the engine purring loudly as he made this way through the city.

When he was pulling into Cid's driveway, he saw the silhouette of the man already sitting in the car. His wince was hidden by his helmet as he parked behind Cid's bike. He quickly dismounted once the engine was off and removed his helmet, tossing it into the back seat of the vehicle before entering.

"You're late," the older man accused in monotone as Axel slid into his seat and buckled his seatbelt.

"I'm sorry, boss," the teen responded with guilt. "It won't happen again."

"See that it doesn't."

The vehicle roared to life, and soon they were backing out of the driveway. As they made their way down the street, Axel broke the silence.

"So, what's going on, boss?" He turned his eyes to the man, who was looking straight ahead at the road. His expression was serious but calm as usual. He watched as Cid took in a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"It seems one of our men is having doubts," came the simple reply. Axel lightly chewed on his lip, understanding the meaning behind the older man's words.

In his time at the Organization, Axel had never seen a member turn deserter. Usually when someone joined, they understood the ramifications, and that membership was lifelong. However, he had heard stories told by others about what happened to those who wanted out. They got out, alright.

Green eyes turned to watch the road ahead. "I see."

"This is going to be your job someday," the blonde explained with a soft affection in his voice that the teen noticed, "I need to prepare you for that."

Axel took a deep breath and nodded. This would not be the first time he had seen a man die, or one of their own. But it would be the first time he watched one of their own die by the Organization's hand. As they continued down the road, the redhead did his best to fix his expression to indifference. He wanted to be tough like Cid, able to make the hard choices that came with the job.

Eventually they drove down a long gravel path and parked in front of a grey warehouse. When the purr of the engine stopped after keys turned, Cid's eyes were on him. "You ready?"

Axel nodded, steeling himself for what awaited inside. "Yeah."

The duo exited the vehicle and made their way to the door. Cid entered first, Axel following close behind.

The inside of the warehouse was brightly lit with fluorescent lights hanging above, reflecting off the metal, windowless walls. Rows of shelving holding palettes the contents of which Axel wasn't sure of lined the large, single room, with a walkway between them. They walked toward the back where there was a bit of empty space, and he could see his brother standing with several other men, his trusty knight stick resting on his shoulder. As he and Cid approached, he could hear Reno talking.

"How far did you really think you'd make it, man? There's nowhere you could run that we wouldn't find you."

Cid placed a hand on the older redhead's shoulder, and their eyes met. "Hey, boss!" the man greeted.

"Thank you for your work, Reno. I'll take it from here," the blonde remarked, and Reno stepped aside to let the man pass. Axel followed.

Sitting on the floor with a bloodied, bruised face sat a man that Axel recognized but had never interacted with much. His clothes were disheveled and dirtied from the floor of the warehouse and what the redhead assumed was his own blood. He did not look up from the floor as Cid dropped to a knee to be eye level with the man.

"You put up a fight," Cid commented and rested his forearm on his other knee, appraising the man with his eyes. The man said nothing.

Blue eyes glanced at Reno over his shoulder, "Where did you find him?"

"Caught up to him on Route 15, had to run him off the road" the redhead replied.

A single laugh escaped Cid's lips. "Didn't try too hard, did you?" he directed at the man before returning his attention to Reno behind him. "Was there anyone with him? Any witnesses?"

The redhead shook his head. "He was alone."

Cid nodded, eyes on the man again. "Does your family know about your little vacation?"

This made the man find his voice, albeit shaky. "Please," he begged. "They have nothing to do with this!"

Cid snapped his tongue against his teeth, forming a 'tsk' sound, and shook his head, indifference dominating his expression. "Shame." He sighed and nodded to two men, who started to leave.

"No!" the man cried.

Although the red-haired teen kept his apathetic expression, a tightness pulled at his chest at Cid's single word sentencing of the man's family. He knew the reason; no loose ends, never leave behind someone who might seek revenge. It was one of many rules Cid had that kept him and the Organization in the good position they were in for so long. However, it wasn't often that Axel got one of these chilling reminders that for all Cid's fatherly gestures and good-hearted nature, he was ruthless. As much as Axel knew the blonde loved him like a son, he also knew Cid wouldn't hesitate to kill the redhead if it came down to it.

Cid stood, turning to the teen. "Axel, what is the sentence for desertion?"

The youth froze, not expecting the question. His breath hitched, but he turned and looked at the man on the floor, who had begun to cry. "The penalty for desertion… is death." He had wanted, hoped, that his tone would sound as unaffected as his expression looked. However, he'd been unable to hide his fear and sympathy, and it had infected his voice.

Cid reached behind himself and retrieved the Glock 22 tucked into his pants under his shirt. As he retrieved a suppressor from the pocket of his jeans and screwed it into the piston, the man on the floor began to shake from the strength of his sobs. He began an attempt to crawl away.

"That's right, Axel," breathed the blonde, his eyes fixed on what he was doing. "When one joins the Organization, they swear an oath to their fellow brothers and sisters. Did you forget that oath, Bill?" he asked the man, his tone cold and even as he finished his task.

The man's sobs got louder, and he stood, breaking out into a run. Where he thought he was going to run to, Axel wasn't sure.

The click of the safety being disabled felt deafening.

Axel watched the man, and Cid raising his gun to take aim in his peripheral. When Cid squeezed the trigger, the sound of the shot was muffled but not silent. The first bullet hit its mark, ripping through the man's skull in a spray of blood. A second ripped through the man's chest, turning his body as it started to fall, and a third went through the skull again, scattering brain and blood alike.

Eyes wide, the teen watched the body fall to the floor limp, holes releasing blood that began to pool on the ground. Heart racing, he felt the warmth of blood spray that had freckled his face. He turned to Cid, who was removing the suppressor from his pistol with calloused fingers, his face hard and emotionless. Some of the spray had gotten him as well, staining his face and a bit of his shirt.

"Clean this up," Cid ordered coolly, "and dispose of the body."

The men around him began to move and Cid tucked away his weapon, shrugged out of his jacket, and passed it to one of the men. He removed the white t-shirt he was wearing, balling it and tossing it in the direction of the body that lay on the floor before being handed a clean one. Axel eyed the shirt where it lay draped over the legs of the man, discarded as trash. Cid was given a moist towel to wipe his face with and did so before passing it to Axel. The teen wiped at his face while Cid slipped into his new shirt and was handed his jacket back, the leather wiped down. The man had gotten far enough away that the spray on them had been light, most of it a mist.

Axel's own jacket had been taken from him, but the only evidence on him had been the misting of his nose. Once inspected and found to be clean, Cid turned to him.

"Let's go, Axel."

The pair silently made their way toward the exit, the sounds of Cid's men cleaning up in the background. Once they were settled into the vehicle, Axel could feel the blonde studying his face, and turned to meet his eyes.

"Are you okay?" he asked of the youth, concern in his voice.

Axel nodded.

The engine turned over, and Cid turned the car around to head back toward the road, gravel crunching under the wheels. "It's never easy to have to kill a friend. I didn't bring you here to watch a man die," he explained softly as he drove, "you're no stranger to that. I brought you here to see the harsh reality of the things you're going to have to do someday. To understand that it might be a friend of yours you have to sentence. Maybe innocent people."

"I understand," the redhead responded. The solemn tone of Axel's voice seemed to satisfy the man, and they spent the rest of the ride in silence.

The car pulled up to Cid's house, and the engine cut off. Both men opened their doors, and the sound of quick footsteps startled Axel as he exited the vehicle.

"Dad! Can we go to-"

His eyes snapped to the source of the voice as he stood with a hand still on the car door. A boy with blonde hair stood on the covered porch, gripping the railing. Axel could feel his eyes widen as the boy's blue eyes locked onto his, his sentence silenced and forgotten. Axel's eyes narrowed as he registered what the boy had said. His green eyes appraised the boy, who stood mouth agape and still.

"Go where?" he heard Cid ask.

The boy looked away from Axel and to the older man, the surprise not leaving his face. "Uh."

He watched the boy's eyes flit to his own again as Cid addressed him. "I'll see you later, Axel."

The redhead took that as his cue to leave and grabbed his helmet from Cid's backseat and slid it over his head. He straddled his bike and the engine came to life. He didn't look back toward the house, or the boy, and headed to the street.

It was past dinner when Reno came through the apartment door, smelling strongly like a bonfire. As he approached Axel who was sitting at the couch in front of the T.V. the teen looked up and found slate blue eyes staring down at him.

"Hey, about today. You alright?"

Axel nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine."

The older brother eyed the younger for a few moments, lips a tight line. "You know, if you don't want to take over, you don't have to. You could just be like me, Cid would understand."

"I want to," Axel assured, "I want to more than anything. Nothing could change that."

Reno nodded, and started moving deeper into the apartment. "Okay. I should go take a shower."

Axel sat up and leaned forward on the couch. "Reno, wait."

The man paused in the doorway between the living room and kitchen and raised his eyebrows to the teen. "What's up?"

"Does Cid have a kid?" he asked, his mind wandering to the blonde boy from earlier. He wondered if he had really heard what he thought he did.

Reno laughed, "Other than us, his loveable delinquent foster children? No."

"Right. Yeah, of course," the youth responded. He remained unconvinced, but waived Reno off anyhow. "Go shower, you smell like a fire."

The thought continued to bother him well into the evening. He was certain he'd heard the blonde boy call Cid 'dad', but that couldn't be possible. Cid had never mentioned anything about having a kid, and when he and Reno lived with him it had been only ever been the three of them. The man couldn't even manage to hide his favorite snacks from them, how would he have hidden a person? And he was positive that he had never seen the boy before, anywhere. He definitely didn't go to Radiant Garden High, and he'd never been with the Organization either. How could he possibly be Cid's kid and not be involved with the Organization, when he himself had been involved since the young age of 13?

As he lay in bed that night, the image of the boy's face was burned into Axel's mind. His thoughts wandered to the possibility of Cid having a kid, and what that would mean for him. Did he stand to lose his position because of this? But no, of course that couldn't be it. Cid had been treating him normally. He wanted to talk to the boss as soon as possible, but didn't dare call. It was too late at night to call without an emergency.

He tossed and turned for hours before he managed to fall asleep.

"Axel!" chirped a voice the next morning, that the boy practically hissed at. "Get up!"

The redhead opened one green eye, and grunted at the teen leaning over him, his dirty blonde hair lighter in the sunlight streaming in through the window. "Who let you in here?" he accused groggily, squeezing his eyes shut tight again. "Get out, Demyx."

The boy, Demyx, pushed against Axel's shoulders. "Reno let us in, now get up!"

Disgruntled sounds escaped the redhead as he pushed the other teen away. "We?"

"Saix is in the kitchen."

Axel grimaced and cursed his bad luck for being forcefully roused from his sleep for both weekend days. "Ugh, what do you guys even want?"

Demyx grinned victoriously at his success in waking his friend and stood up straight. "I want to go hang out at the skatepark and get some practice. Saix said he would go, but only if we came and got you."

Axel rolled his sleepy eyes before rubbing them. "Some friend, Saix is. I'm going to find a new friend and replace him," he called out in hopes the man in the kitchen would hear him.

"Just get up, crybaby," Demyx insisted.

The redhead sat up in bed, resigning himself to his fate. He dropped his feet to the floor, and took off his pajama shirt, before getting up to stroll across the room. "I'm changing whether you're in here or not, Dem," he warned, and dropped his pajama bottoms.

Startled, the other teen turned and walked out the door with a quick, "I'll be in the kitchen with Saix!"

Axel made quick work of changing, dressing in a pair of black jeans and a white t-shirt, finishing with his Organization jacket and a pair of black sneakers. He walked into the kitchen and smiled when the scent of coffee filled his nostrils. When the blue haired teen turned to him and held out a mug, the smile stretched into a whole-faced grin, and he took the offering. "I take everything back, you're my best friend. I love you, Saix."

Saix rolled his eyes and sat at the kitchen table next to Demyx. "And I barely tolerate you," he returned with the smallest of smiles.

Axel took a seat, sipping his black coffee, and the blonde leaned forward as he spoke. "Did you guys finish the Biology homework?" he asked.

Saix nodded silently, and Axel shrugged. "Mostly. Help me with mine after the skatepark?"

Both teens agreed to help, and they chatted while Axel drank his coffee. For as long as he'd lived in Radiant Garden, he'd been friends with Saix. They met in school when they were 9, when Saix had offered to share his lunch when Axel had lost the lunch money Cid had given him one day. Since that fateful day and ham sandwich, their dynamic of Saix's cool confidence and Axel's loud recklessness had worked effortlessly. It was as though they balanced each other, and Saix followed Axel into the Organization as soon as Cid would allow him. Demyx came to complete their circle of friendship in freshman year at Radiant High, after a brief dating stint with Axel. Demyx and Axel had bonded over their love of music, and although they loved each other platonically, romantically they weren't on the same page. Not that anyone ever _was _on the same page as Axel in that regard. The blonde was, self admittedly, unfit for being in a gang as he wasn't good under pressure and violence made him anxious. This never bothered the other two, as it gave them a reason to keep Organization talk to a minimum when Demyx was around and have a somewhat normal teenage experience.

With the coffee drank by Axel and cup placed in the dishwasher by Saix, the trio walked toward the skate park, happy chatter filling the space between. As soon as they were near the entrance, Demyx dropped his board to the ground and hopped on, heading towards the half-pipe. Axel and Saix trailed along behind and found a spot by the fence close enough to be able to talk to Demyx. The blue-haired teen dropped to take a seat, leaning against the fence, and Axel opted to stand.

It didn't take long for a flash of blonde to catch his eye. Green eyes watched the figure, that he was reasonably sure was the boy from the day before, skate for a while. He was practicing tricks, brow furrowed in concentration. If he hadn't been rehashing his thoughts from the night before, Axel might have been thinking about how cute it looked.

"Are you even paying attention?"

Saix's voice broke through Axel's thoughts, startling him a little. The redhead hadn't even realized the other had been talking.

"What? Yeah. No. No, I wasn't."

The blue haired youth sighed, following Axel's line of sight before murmuring a noise of frustration. "Please, not another blonde."

"What's that about?" the redhead questioned, furrowing his brows.

"Let's not play games, Axel. You have a type."

Axel folded his arms over his chest, shaking his head but not tearing his gaze away from the mystery boy. "You've got it all wrong, that's not it."

"Really?" Saix asked with apprehension. "Looks like your type to me."

The redhead smirked. "Well, you've got me there, but still that's not it."

The blonde stopped skating, wiping at his brow. His eyes locked with Axel's across the park and he shot him a scowl. The redhead raised his eyebrows as the blonde got back on his board, heading toward the exit, on their side of the park.

As soon as the boy was close enough, Axel called out to him. "Hey."

The mystery boy stopped in his tracks, eyeing him with malice. That didn't deter the redhead and he continued, "You Cid's kid?"

The boy's jaw clenched. "Yeah, what's it to you?"

Axel made a noise of disbelief, slowly shaking his head. "Gotta say, you don't look like you'd be Cid's kid." He could see some of Cid in the boy, mostly the eyes, now that he had a closer look. But he was too clean cut and had none of the hardness of his father. The boy still had some baby fat on his cheeks, and he almost looked feminine.

"I look more like my mom," the blonde countered, fists balled at his sides.

Axel stopped leaning against the fence and stood straight, towering over the blonde. "I can see that." He waived a hand dismissively. "But regardless, that's not what I meant." He let his eyes wander the boy, eyes to feet and back again. Definitely not what anyone would picture for the words 'Cid's son'. The redhead stepped forward toward the boy. "What's your name, kid?"

The boy leaned slightly back, looking unsure. "Roxas."

Axel let the name bounce around his mind for a moment. He wondered if the name had been Cid's choice, but decided that he liked the way it rolled off the tongue. "Roxas," he tested.

"What, you need me to write it down for you?"

The redhead gave a Cheshire grin. The boy was feisty. "No need," he assured, tapping an index finger to his temple. "Already memorized."

The blonde turned towards the exit, but Axel wasn't done with his questions. "Why is it," he questioned, raising a single eyebrow and crossing his arms, "that I've never heard of Cid having a kid."

That stopped the boy. He brought his blue gaze back to Axel, surprise quickly hidden under a glare. "Well I've never heard about you, either."

That hurt Axel more than he would have ever cared to admit. How could that be true? He was with Cid nearly every day, surely he deserved at least a passing mention. Even so, he wasn't about to let such feelings show to the blonde. He waived a hand in front of him, biting back with, "Guess you two aren't that close."

When he saw Roxas' fists clench and heard the tone in his voice, the redhead knew he had struck a nerve. "Say. That. Again."

Axel chuckled at the threat. As if this skinny, short kid could take him. "Guess you two aren't that-"

His vision went fuzzy, and his jaw groaned with pain to let him know he'd been struck. His eyes went wide as the pain stretched further across his face, and anger bubbled in his blood. Before he even knew what he was doing, he felt his fist collide hard with the blonde's stomach, doubling him over. In another flash, his arms were restrained and he was dangling like a scarecrow from the way Saix was holding him.

Demyx was between him and the other blonde, bending over to ask him if he was okay. Roxas muttered that he was fine but seemed out of breath.

Saix released him from his hold when he didn't fight against him, and Axel's feet fully touched the ground again. He rolled his jaw, testing it. It hurt pretty badly, but it wasn't broken. Green eyes caught the blue pair looking at him and he smiled widely, ignoring the pain that came with it. "Way to go, Roxas. Fight, fight, fight," he half praised, and half mocked, giving the boy a slow clap of his hands.

Saix rolled his eyes. "Lay off, Axel," he warned, "You want the boss to find out you're fighting his son?"

"Not sure you should have let him go, Saix," Demyx added, not wanting to bear witness to another altercation.

Axel watched as Roxas stared at Saix, before the other blonde interrupted.

"I'd run off if I were you," Demyx suggested to Roxas genuinely.

The boy gave one last look at the group before getting back on his board. He made for the exit, but the redhead could tell that the pain in his side was slowing him down some.

"I just want to clarify," Saix breathed as soon as the teen was out of earshot. "You said he was Cid's son?"

Axel nodded, spitting out a little blood from where his cheek had collided with his teeth. "Saw him at Cid's yesterday."

"Now that _is _curious," the blue haired teen commented.

"You're telling me."

It wasn't until Monday evening that Axel was finally alone with Cid. After school, he followed his boss as they went and did what they needed to, talked who they needed to, but with his mind on all of the questions he needed to ask. Once they were in his office at the garage, Axel closed the door behind him and immediately went into interrogation.

Cid sat down at the desk, and Axel leaned against it with his hands, staring at the older man. "Since when do you have a son?"

Blue eyes met his, the man's face cold and serious. "Since he showed up on my doorstep a few years back. Didn't know he existed before that."

Axel nodded. "OK, but why have I never seen him before? He doesn't go to Radiant High."

The man looked like he was deciding how much information to share, eyeing the teen. He must have decided that the teen was trustworthy enough, because he answered, "He goes to Kingdom High, and he lives with his mother out of town."

"Isn't Kingdom High that fancy private school?"

The blonde simply nodded in answer.

"Why isn't he in the Organization?" he tried, unsure if he would get a satisfying answer.

He wouldn't. "That's not important."

The redhead crossed his arms and his brow furrowed. When he spoke, it was with venom. "This kid is apparently too good for public school, to good for Radiant Garden, and even too good for the Organization. Seems like everything about Roxas must be _very_ important," he argued.

Cid dropped a fist hard on his desk, startling Axel, his eyes shooting daggers. "_Enough_."

Axel fell silent, lips pressed into a thin line as he stared at the floor.

"How his mother and I choose to raise him is of no consequence to you, and not up for debate."

Although how differently Cid treated his son compared to Axel would spark jealousy and anger in him, he was never foolish enough to bring the boy up again. When he saw the blonde boy over the next few years, he simply gave an annoyed glare and left, having no desire to interact with the boy who was everything he wasn't.

The second time Axel interacted with Roxas was a very, very bad day.

He was with Reno, on their way to a supply pickup when he got the call.

The two were in a nondescript black vehicle, property of the Organization, driving in silence with Axel staring out at the empty road. Although they had only just left town, the road was empty, and the fields and houses they passed on the two-lane road gave Axel little to look at. It had been minutes at best, but he was thoroughly bored when he felt the buzzing in his pocket. He reached for his phone lazily, accepting the call without bothering to see who it was and bringing it to his ear.

"Yeah?" he asked it.

"Axel-" the voice belonged to Braig, a man with whom Axel was familiar but not too friendly. His voice sounded off, maybe even scared. "You have to come back, _now_! Cid's been shot!"

Panic shot through Axel like a jolt of electricity, and he turned to his brother, shouting "_Turn around_!"

Reno checked his rearview mirror quickly and found it empty. He slammed the brake and rubber scraped against asphalt, leaving light smoke and a heavy scent as he spun the wheel. Once they were facing the right direction, the older redhead slammed the gas, and they took off back the way they came as Axel spoke on the phone.

"Where is he?"

"At the garage. He was hit in the chest, but he's breathing. Should we call an ambulance?"

"No," Axel responded, forcing his voice to stay calm as his mind raced. "Can't risk it. We'll be there faster anyway. Can you move him?"

Braig seemed to consider the question for a moment. "I think so."

"Get one of the creepers and lay him on it. Roll him out to the front. We can lift him into the car on it. Find the shooter." he ordered, urgency in his voice.

"Understood."

Axel ended the call and turned to Reno, who had his eyes fixed on his task as he entered city limits and started needing to weave between other cars. "The garage," Axel ordered, his voice grave. "Cid's been shot."

The hands on the steering wheel gripped harder, knuckles going white as the duo raced toward their destination. Neither man spoke for the drive which seemed like an eternity, but only lasted a few more minutes. Tension hung thick in the air, both men's hearts in their tight stomachs.

When they arrived in front of the garage, Axel had jumped out of the car before it even stopped. He ran over to where Cid lay, the sight of the blood covering the man putting a lump in his throat. He told a man to call the hospital to let them know they were coming and helped get the injured man into the car. When the car was racing toward the hospital, Reno once again the driver, Axel sat in the backseat with Cid's head on his lap, holding a bloodied towel over the wound.

What he saw in Cid's blue eyes terrified him. Tears of pain spilled slowly from them, and for the first time since he had known him, Cid looked _scared_. He tried to speak a couple of times but found himself choking before he could utter a word.

"Hey," Axel muttered after the second attempt, around the huge lump in his dry throat. "Now's not the time for a conversation. You're going to be fine," he assured, perhaps trying to convince himself as well. His own vision seemed blurry, but no tears managed to fall. "We've got you, you're going to be just fine."

When they pulled up in front of the emergency room, there was a gurney with nurses and doctors already waiting for them. Both Reno and Axel watched helplessly as the only father figure they'd ever known was rolled away, not knowing for sure if he was going to be alright.

They waited in ugly blue chairs as Cid went into surgery. At one point, Axel went to the restroom and washed as much blood as he could off of himself. He stood for a moment, staring at the face that looked back at him in the mirror and gripping the sink. The upside-down teardrop tattoos under his eyes felt like a cruel joke he had played on himself as he stood here. The purple ink mocked him, the whites of his eyes red from the strain of tears held back. When he returned, Reno was answering questions from the police. He listened to Reno explain that it had been an accident; that the gun had dropped and fired. Neither his expression or tone revealed the lie, no matter how many questions he answered. The interrogation went on, with Axel occasionally adding to the conversation or agreeing. He knew that the cops didn't believe their story, as they were familiar with the Organization, but unless Cid died they couldn't do much about it.

When they eventually left the pair alone, Axel found himself with head in hands, praying. He'd never believed in God. Still, on the off chance he was listening, he begged for Cid's life. The thought that Cid might not make it tightened his insides and left a stinging sensation behind his eyes. He banished the thought, chewing his lower lip as he stared at the white tiles that made up the hospital's floor. He promised himself that Cid would be alright, if only because he wasn't ready for any other reality.

He felt the arm of his older brother wrap around his shoulder and instinctively leaned in to the comforting warmth. For a moment it felt like he was just a scared kid again, leaning into the protection and strength of his older brother. The sound of a single wet sniffle hit his ear, and he assumed it had come from Reno. He didn't lift his head to check.

After a while, other members of the Organization drifted in to sit with them, and he felt Reno's arm leave him. He lifted his head and nodded to the others as a replacement for a greeting when they approached. The figures of men and women in matching jackets lined the hall, filling the remaining blue chairs. He could feel their eyes on him as he stared at the floor, arms crossed and slumped in his own chair. He did his best to betray no emotion, and he thought to himself that it might be the hardest thing he'd ever done.

At some point, Saix approached and placed a helmet on the empty seat beside him and passed him a pair of keys. "I drove your motorcycle here for you," he told him, and Axel pocketed the keys with a murmured 'thanks'.

Everyone was silent until the surgeon came out. Axel and Reno sprung to their feet as he approached. "How's he look, doc?" Axel asked, hopefulness in his voice.

"The bullet missed his heart but the surrounding tissue was damaged. Recovery is going to take some time. You family?"

"His foster kids," Reno informed.

The doctor nodded. "Okay. We're transferring him to a room. He's awake and would probably feel better seeing you."

The boys visibly relaxed as the doctor left. When Axel turned around, all eyes were on him, as though they were waiting for him to say something. He blinked, and Reno nudged him in the side. Axel went to speak but coughed instead.

He cleared his throat. "Clear out, Cid's going to be alright. Get the gun and find out why it fired. Then get rid of it," he ordered, hoping that the group would understand his meaning. It seemed they did, as a series of nods and affirmative grunts followed. Then a sea of black Organization jackets began to file out of the hospital, the sound of heavy boots rumbling against the floor. Axel wasn't sure how many of them had come, but it had been more than enough to catch the attention of the hospital's other visitors and staff.

"Say what you want about the Organization," Axel mused, "these people are loyal."

Reno nodded.

As soon as they were able, the pair went to Cid's side. The man sat in bed with white gauze on his wound, a circle of red slowly forming on it. He smiled weakly at the two as they walked in.

The redhead did not like this look on the boss. Cid had always seemed larger than life, ever since he was a kid. Seeing him now, like this, made him too human. Too mortal. Superhumans weren't supposed to bleed like that.

Axel sat on the bed, putting a hand lightly on the blonde's. He surveyed the man's face, thinking he looked older today. His skin tone looked grey. His wrinkles seemed deeper. "You look like shit," he offered.

Cid laughed, then winced at the pain it caused.

"Sorry, boss."

The man shook his head, then whispered something. Axel leaned closer to hear him, and the man repeated himself, "So do you."

Axel cracked a smile, and heard Reno chuckle.

The older man's smile lasted only a moment longer, before becoming serious. "Axel," he tried to speak louder this time, but it caused him to cough. His face contorted in pain again.

Worry washed away Axel's own expression, and he squeezed the man's hand. "It's okay, boss. I'm taking care of everything. You just need to rest."

Cid's brow furrowed and he shook his head, his blue eyes pleading. He forced his voice louder, and breathed a single word, "Roxas."

The name surprised the redhead. He hadn't thought of the boy in a long time. "Do you want me to get him?"

"He'll worry," came the urgent whisper. The man spoke slowly, doing his best to minimize the pain talking caused so he could say what he needed to "He needs to see me. Then keep him away, it's not safe."

"I understand," Axel assured before turning to his brother. "I'm going to go get the kid, in the meantime I want you to make sure that there's someone outside the room at all times. Then go check in with everyone, make sure that everything hasn't dissolved into chaos. Keep me updated."

"Got it, little bro," Reno said with a smirk and two fingered salute. He turned to Cid then, "Try to relax, boss. The sooner you recover the sooner I can stop hearing this one bark orders." He pointed his thumb at his younger brother. He turned on his heels and stalked out of the room.

Axel went to stand up but Cid's hand covering his own stopped him in his tracks and green eyes met blue. "Axel," the other man whispered as a smile crept along his lips, "leadership looks good on you."

The redhead smiled and continued to stand up. "Do me a favor," he countered, "the next time you want a vacation, skip the drama and the flattery and just ask."

He left the room to the sound of soft chuckles.

The drive to Cid's house saw Axel gritting his teeth in irritation. Although it had been a long time since he'd seen more than a glimpse of Roxas, his opinion of the blonde hadn't improved, but had actually gotten worse. Axel wasn't sure what word he would use to describe his feelings toward him; hatred? Loathing? Abhorrence? That didn't matter so much, so long as he was certain that everything about Roxas grated on him. Seeing him in the uniform for his fancy school, or more recently, in expensive and pretentious clothing that offended Axel's eyes had helped to paint a picture of the now young man. The spoiled, ungrateful son who reaped the benefits of his father's work without ever lifting a finger. He imagined him parading around whatever university he went to now, with none of his pompous friends knowing that he was, in fact, and imposter in their world. The very idea of Roxas and his life was ridiculous to the redhead.

When the blue house came into view, Axel caught sight of the blonde rolling out the trash bin to the curb. He pulled the bike up in front of him, and removed his helmet, visibly startling the other man. Axel tossed him his helmet. "Get on."

Blue eyes scowled at him in disgust, as though Axel were nothing more than the dirt on his shoes. The boy held out the helmet to return it to him and breathed a "No, thanks."

The redhead rolled his eyes, already irritated in the five seconds and four words exchanged with the brat. If Cid weren't hurt, he might have stuffed him into that trash bin and drove off without another word. With venom in his voice, he spat the words "I'm not here to take you out for ice cream, you idiot. Cid's been hurt. Now get on the damn bike!"

He watched the blood drain from Roxas' face. "What?!" he cried out, "Is he okay!?"

The redhead's patience was wearing thin. "He will be, but if you don't get on the damn bike I'm not going to be able to say the same for you," he threatened.

To Axel's relief the blonde slid the helmet over his head and adjusted the strap, and he felt Roxas' body behind him a moment later. "Hold on," he advised, and when he felt Roxas' arms wrap around his waist, he took off toward the hospital.

Once Axel had pulled into a parking spot, Roxas was off like a bullet in a beeline towards the entrance. To Axel's surprise, he had to run after him despite having much longer legs. When he caught up, Roxas was making a scene with a secretary at the front desk. He approached and tapped the man on his shoulder, nodding down a hall. "Come on, I know the way."

He led the blonde down the too bright and too white hall, to an elevator, and stepped inside. He chose the floor, letting his hands rest in his pockets as they rode it up, eyes focused straight ahead. When the elevator chimed and the door opened, he strolled to the room he had been in earlier, and Roxas pushed past him, running to the side of the bed.

"Dad!"

He watched as Roxas examined his father and took a position to the side and slightly back of the blonde.

"Roxas," the older man breathed in greeting. It was soft, weak, like the smile he offered.

"What happened?" Roxas asked, concern lacing his tone.

Cid opened his mouth to speak, but Axel raised a hand and stopped him. He didn't want the man talking any more than necessary. "Don't, boss."

He turned to Roxas, who in turn stared at him with fearful blue eyes. For a moment, Axel felt sympathetic. "It hurts him to talk right now. Bullet to the chest, and although it missed his heart, it did some damage. He's already been in surgery and the bullet has been removed, but it's going to take some time to recover."

"S-shot?" Roxas repeated.

"I'm going to be fine," Cid managed as a whisper. He smiled reassuringly.

"He's not in any danger anymore," Axel interjected, "but he wanted to see you. Said you would worry if you didn't see him."

Roxas nodded, eyes trained on his father. "Does it hurt bad?" he asked softly.

"Like the Devil," the eldest man replied softly, smile never leaving his face.

"What can I do, can I get you anything?"

"No," Cid breathed. "No, nothing."

"He's going to need to stay here for a while," Axel interrupted, "the doc said recovery would take a week or so, then after some physical therapy he should be as good as new."

The older blonde removed his gaze from his son, turning to Axel. "I want you to look after Roxas. Stay with him," he whispered, wincing at the pain it caused.

Roxas' brow furrowed and he began to protest, "Dad, I don't need a-"

Axel paid no heed to the blonde's protests. "Got it. And surveillance?"

Cid nodded his head silently. When he did not speak again, Axel decided that the conversation was over, and it was time to get Roxas out. He grabbed the blonde by the shoulders and gripped, starting to push him towards the door with enough force that the man couldn't wriggle away. "I'll have Saix keep you updated," he directed to the injured man, and then to Roxas, "Come on, we need to let your dad rest."

"What? No I-!" the smaller man cried, struggling against Axel's grip unsuccessfully. "I love you, dad!" he called back.

Down the hallway a bit, Roxas managed to shrug out of Axel's grip, and barked "I can walk on my own, thanks!"

The redhead shrugged, tucking his hands into the pockets of his jacket as the pair walked down the hall toward the elevator. The silence between the two didn't last long, as it seemed Roxas was in the mood for interrogation.

"How did he get shot?" he asked, and the redhead felt the blonde's eyes on him.

Axel did not meet the blonde's eyes, staring straight ahead as he walked. "With a gun," he stated, his delivery deadpan.

He heard a noise of annoyance uttered from the other man. "Obviously. And not what I meant."

"Well I'm not going to be answering any questions until we're back at the house," Axel countered.

"At the house?" the other questioned as Axel stepped into the elevator and pressed the button to take them to the lobby. Roxas followed. "Wait- are you coming back to my house?!"

Axel finally brought his gaze to his blonde companion, unimpressed as he gave him a once over. Hadn't he heard his father? "Didn't you go to that fancy school out in Twilight Town? Why is this so hard for you?"

"Because I have no idea what's going on!"

Axel chuckled in disbelief as the elevator doors opened, a slight shake to his head. "Man, Cid really didn't get his money's worth paying for that education," he commented, and strolled out into the lobby. How was he going to make it through however long he was going to be with this blonde idiot when he couldn't even follow along with a simple conversation?

They made their way into the parking lot before Roxas spoke up again as the redhead was getting on his bike. "Why are you coming to my house?" he demanded.

A playful smirk crept onto Axel's features and he held a fist up to mimic holding up a microphone. "Thank you for choosing Axel's Radiant Garden Motorcycle Tours. We ask that you take a seat and keep arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times. We also request that you hold all questions until the end of the tour."

The blonde rolled his eyes and put the helmet back on, sliding onto the seat behind Axel, and placing his arms around his waist again as the engine roared to life. "You are so lame."

Axel let out a laugh, and with that they took off.

When they finally got back to Roxas' house, the younger man slid the helmet off and started to the door. "I never locked up!" he called as he ran onto the porch and to the front door. Axel took his time, trailing slowly behind the other with hands in pockets.

"Relax," he reassured when he entered. "No one is stupid enough to rob this place." He chuckled to himself at the idea of Cid's place getting robbed. It was the kind of thing one only did if they were sick of having fingers.

"Got any beer?" he asked as he ventured further into the home.

"Uh, in the fridge," came a quiet answer. Axel strolled into the kitchen and removed a bottle from the refrigerator. He used the edge of the counter to pop the cap off, and brought the bottle to his lips. As the bubbles and taste hit his tongue he heard Roxas' footsteps, and a second later his voice.

"Hey, tour's over. I want some answers."

Green looked over to see blue eyes, and the man shrugged. "Shoot."

"Who shot my dad?" he asked.

Axel sighed and brought the bottle back to his lips. "He works for a rival, but we've got him in custody."

A nod of the head was given before he continued. "A rival? What do you mean, like the owner of another distribution company?"

Axel let out a bitter laugh, the words catching him off guard. A _distribution company_? Is that what Roxas told his friends? "I mean, that's one way to put it."

The questions persisted. "So, what exactly did my dad mean when he asked you to watch me?"

"Well," he responded with a smirk, deciding to speak slowly for the blonde so that he might be able to follow along, "pretty sure you can feed and walk yourself, so it sounded to me like he meant for protection. Looks like you and I are going to be roomies for a while."

He watched Roxas shake his head, waving his hands in front of him. "Oh no. No no no. Thanks for the offer Axel, but I don't think I need protection from anything. I can take care of myself."

Incredulous, the redhead gaped at the other man. He'd never spent a single day working with the Organization, and Axel was pretty sure he'd never even seen a real fight. "What are you going to do, throw textbooks at someone pointing a gun at you?"

"A _gun_?" Roxas questioned, looking at Axel like he had grown a second head. "Why on earth would anyone come at me with a gun? I still don't understand why someone shot _my dad _over a distribution business and a… _mechanic shop_!"

Axel's expression dropped, and for a moment he just stared in amazement. Was it possible? "Roxas… do you really not know what your dad _does_?"

"What do you mean?" asked Roxas, each word spoken slowly and softly. His blue eyes eyed him with apprehension.

"Oh boy," Axel murmured, shaking his head. Of all the things he had ever pictured himself doing, explaining the Organization to his boss's grown son was never one of them. He headed to the dining table and took a seat, motioning for Roxas to sit across from him. "You better sit down for this," he advised, and took another sip of his drink.

Roxas sank into the offered chair, and Axel took a moment to consider how to say what he needed to.

"Look, I don't know what his reason is for never telling you this, but given… ya know, everything," he waived his hands at their situation. "Let's agree that explaining it to you is the only way you're going to be cooperative."

"O..kay…"

"Have you ever heard of the Organization?" he asked leaning in and resting his arms on the table. He hoped that Roxas at least knew of it, and he could keep his explanation of today's events as brief as possible.

Roxas nodded slowly. "Yeah, they're a gang around here," he answered. "So wait, you and my dad are in that little gang?"

Axel smirked and sat up straight, surprised by the answer. Maybe Roxas really had no idea what his dad was up to. Ever. "Little? You must be joking. The Organization owns half of this city. It's tangled up in the politics around here, and what we don't own we get income from in exchange for our protection. We're everywhere."

"Okay but so, what? You're in a gang. That doesn't explain-"

"Not_ in_ a gang, Roxie," Axel interrupted. He spoke every word pointedly in his attempt to convey just how deep this ocean went. "_Run _a gang. Your dad's the boss. It's his gang. That little garage he owns? Money laundering. Your dad runs this city, and someone wants his turf and will do whatever it takes to get it. Got it memorized?"

Roxas went pale again. Axel watched as his eyes focused and unfocused, unsure whether the other man was going to faint or vomit. Or both.

"Hey, you okay? You look like you're going to be sick," he tried, ready to react if need be.

"Why would he keep this from me?" the blonde whispered, nearly inaudible.

"If I had to wager a guess, I'd say for the same reason I'm here right now." He met Roxas' gaze with a shrug. To be honest, he had no idea how or why Cid had kept this secret for so long, but there was only one reason that made any sense. "He was probably trying to protect you."

Roxas seemed to remember something, and another question popped out of his mouth. "Wait, so when you said that the shooter was in custody-"

"Now you're catching on," he praised. "He's with our guys, getting interrogated as we speak. Once we get what we want out of him, I've given the order to have him taken care of." He took the last sip of his beer and placed the empty bottle on the table.

Axel watched with interest as the expression on Roxas' face changed several times while he was lost in his own thoughts. He didn't interrupt, resting his elbows on the table and folding his hands in front of his lips. After a short amount of time passed, Roxas' eyes were trained on his own once again. He still looked like he might be sick.

"What else does the Organization do? I need to know."

At first, the redhead said nothing. He parted his lips to answer, but quickly changed his mind. Cid clearly didn't want the blonde knowing what was really going on. But it wasn't like he could have gotten Roxas to understand why he couldn't just leave him alone in this house. He considered his options, finding them to be few.

"I have a right to know," the younger man pressed.

Axel could tell this wasn't a subject the other man was willing to drop. He brought his eyes to the other man's, and answered. "Drug cartel, mostly."

Roxas slumped down in his chair, silent, as the other man watched him with curiosity. He hated to admit it, but he almost felt bad for him, with his whole world being turned upside down. But then again, how had he never seen this coming?

Axel's voice broke a long silence between the two. "I don't get you, Roxas. You're properly educated, yet somehow you thought your dad was able to pay for expensive schools and all the clothes and gadgets that would make you look like you belong, and you just… never questioned it? You do know the economy is terrible right now, right?"

Much to Axel's disappointment, there was no venomous reply. The blonde sat there, expression blank, as though he'd turned to stone.

Axel decided that it might be for the best to leave the blonde to his thoughts. He stood, the feet of his chair loudly scraping against the floor and pulled a phone from his pocket. He unlocked it and called Reno first, listening to the rings until-

"Hey little bro," came Reno's smooth tone. Axe heard various suspicious noises in the background.

"What can you tell me?"

"We got the guy," he replied, a familiar tone to his voice that Axel knew meant he was smiling. "But I've got to look into this incident a bit more. I've got a feeling that there's more to this story than I've been able to get out of him."

"Keep at it, then. Is everything in order?"

"Yeah, nothing to worry about. Word has spread that Cid's alright, and everyone seems to have calmed down and resumed normal business," Reno assured.

"Good," Axel breathed relief. "Keep me updated on what you find out."

Reno laughed, "Got it, mini boss."

Axel smiled. "Shut it."

He ended the call and hit the button to call Saix. After a moment, the man answered. "Axel," he greeted.

"Saix, is surveillance set up for Cid at the hospital?"

"Yes, it's been taken care of," came the relaxed response.

"Alright. I need surveillance on Cid's house also. I'm staying here, watching…" he chanced a glance to the other man, still motionless in his seat, "_Roxas_."

The other end of the line went silent, and if Axel couldn't hear Saix's breathing he would have thought that the call had dropped. After a few heartbeats, the man responded with a single word. "Understood."

"You're going to be Cid's connection to the world outside the hospital," he continued, "so check in with me and keep Cid updated."

"I'll make sure he stays informed."

He thanked Saix and they got off the phone. He tucked the phone back into his pocket and shot a hesitant look at the blonde.

"I want to see my dad," he said, seemingly recovered. He started to stand up, but Axel moved across the room quickly and placed a firm hand on his shoulder, keeping the blonde in his seat.

"No can do," Axel countered, his expression serious. "Direct orders. Cid doesn't want you at the hospital in case someone comes to finish the job."

"Finish the job?" the blonde questioned, fear displayed in his blue eyes.

Axel nodded. "It's unlikely," he admitted, "what with there being cameras, a hospital isn't the ideal place to murder someone. Not to mention that he's being watched by our guys. But he'd rather be safe than sorry, I guess."

"Will they be after you too, then?" Roxas' tone wasn't so much one of concern as it was curiosity, but it was soft, with a hint of defeat.

"Maybe," the redhead answered with a casual shrug. "But I'm basically untouchable. Your dad taught me well, and I've got the advantage if I'm expecting them. Trust me kid, being with me is the safest you could be." His confidence in himself was evident in his casual tone.

"Then how did they get my dad?"

Axel dropped his eyes to the floor, guilt stirring in the pit of his stomach. "I wasn't with him."

The redhead couldn't help but be upset about that fact. He was certain that if only he'd been there, as he almost always was, Cid would be fine. And he wouldn't be here, protecting a person he didn't even like. But Cid had said something about Axel needing to 'understand all aspects' of the work done by the Organization, and sent him off with Reno earlier that day, despite Axel's insistence that he already did.

A silence fell over the two while Axel's mind drifted. He wasn't sure how long he stood, green eyes staring out into the darkness past the window, but eventually he came back out of his thoughts and looked at the other man in the room.

"It's late," he murmured, an excuse to break the silence.

Roxas nodded, but continued to sit in silence. Axel wracked his mind, trying to come up with something else to say to break this awkward silence, but then-

"I'll sleep in my dad's room," he finally answered. "You can take mine. It's upstairs-"

"I know where it is," Axel interrupted. Unless Cid had done some major renovations, which certainly did not seem to be the case, he would have no problem finding what used to be his bedroom.

His answer gave the blonde pause, but no question came after. "Alright. I'm going to bed."

"I'm going to stay up for a bit," Axel replied. He removed his phone from his pocket, and glanced at the screen. There were no notifications. "I'll see you tomorrow."

He took a seat at the kitchen table once more as he listened to the sound of Roxas' footsteps ascend the stairs. He took a look around the room and sighed as his eyes wandered over things that hadn't changed, and the few that had. It was surreal, being in this house again. Without Cid here, it didn't feel like the warm, inviting home of his childhood. It felt cold, foreign, and he was fairly certain that part of the problem was the company that he did have.

Although the day had been long, Axel found that he wasn't tired. Was it stress? Adrenaline? He wasn't sure. He stayed in the kitchen late into the night. At one point he had grabbed himself another beer to nurse while he sat deep in his own thoughts. He placed his empty bottles in the recycling. He organized the mail on the counter by date. He flipped through a cookbook.

Eventually he ran out of these little tasks to occupy himself, and his mind, and somewhere around 2 in the morning he wandered upstairs toward the room he once shared with Reno.

When he opened the door, the feeling of being in a foreign place rose back into his chest. Green eyes slowly scanned the room as he stood in the doorway, over the pale blue walls that were once a light grey, and to where a 'Destati University' flag replaced what once was band posters.

He stepped in and closed the door softly behind him. Instead of two beds pushed against opposite sides of the wall there was only one, in the center of the room. There was a desk under the window, with pens neatly sorted into their cups and nothing else but a laptop littering the top. Everything in the room was light, bright, and organized.

To Axel, it was the visual equivalent of elevator music.

He looked over to see a bookshelf, with photos in frames nestled in with the various books. Pictures of Roxas, and people Axel assumed were his friends, filled most of them. In some, Roxas and crew were in their high school uniforms. In others, they were in casual wear.

It had been a long time since this had been Axel's room, but it still felt as though the blonde had intruded on his space. Like he had taken something that belonged to _him._

But by now, Axel was too tired to feel angry about it. Instead, he slipped off his jacket to toss it on the desk chair and stripped himself of his t-shirt and pants. He hadn't brought himself any pajamas, and so resigned himself to sleeping in his underwear that night. He flicked off the lights and crawled into Roxas' bed, finding himself a little annoyed at the way it smelled of the same detergent that the blonde did. As he closed his eyes and let himself drift to sleep, he was at least thankful that they did seem to have one thing in common; they both liked soft beds.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

First of all, I want to give a huge shout out to FlyingFlapjack, as well as everyone who has followed or favorited! It feels awesome to know you guys are enjoying this, and gives me the energy to edit and get chapters out to you, so thank you so much! Keep the comments coming, I'd love to hear from you guys!

Anyway, it was tough to rewrite the conversations and try to keep them interesting, so let me know if I lost you at any point, or if you have any suggestions for how to make that flow better. Constructive criticism is always welcome. I don't plan to do this again in this fic, from here on out you can expect to get one version of events.

You can expect the next chapter to be out either at the end of the week, or at latest, early next week. I'd say to set your expectations to receive a chapter once a week, with the potential to get two in a week sometimes.


End file.
